Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood
by Legendarypanda
Summary: A Father's betrayal lead to an attack on his newborn son on the eve of his first birthday, how will his childhood be growing up in the wizarding world. Part 1 of 8
1. The Attack

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter one**

 _The Attack_

The candlelit windows of Spinner's End glowed orange in the midnight blue murk of the early evening twilight. Inside a young redhead was dressing a boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes, the shade of green that ought to make a very emerald pale with envy. The jumper she put him in was blue, a baby shade with brown plump owls all over the front of it with little brown speech bubbles saying, 'I love Hoo' and above her a large mobile of dancing fairies sang a little lullaby tune whose melody was soothing but whose words were little more than baby babble. Directly below the mobile where the mother was standing was a crib, a bright redwood crib where on the headboard in bright green letters were the words, 'Harrison Severus Snape.'

Harrison, or Harry for short was in their nursery asleep and oblivious as he was lifted from her shoulder and laid in his crib, she cooed at her baby causing him to open his eyes and squeak happily at her and she smiled and raised her wand causing blooms of sugary rainbow smoke to burst from the tip of her wand. after the puffs of smoke had ended and Harry had gone back to sleep, She picked him up, kissed him both on the head and nose and shut his door to ajar so that she could work on some tonics for curing the common cold. Rather boring work but it was something that had to be done, the common cold was a rather unpleasant affair-Lilly had suffered her fair share of these and knew this all too well- and the sooner she could cure them the better for the children in her charge. She saw no reason the children need suffer with this and although muggle medicine may not be able to cure it; that was nothing compared to wizarding medicine and desert sand and toad's warts did wonders for the sinuses.

She had just finished adding the quicksand to her concoction when suddenly the door to their little house burst open and a hooded figure all in black materialized out of what appeared to be a cloud of ebony dust.

She rose to her feet, "Can I help you?" she asked, whispering so as not to wake the child.

The figure ignored her, saying to his hooded companions; "Search the house."

Lilly started blinking her emerald eyes rapidly in astonishment, "Search the-"she stammered, "I beg your pardon!" One of the men shoved by her and she heard her china smashing in ear splitting crashes all around her. "Now see here, I don't know who you are or what you want but you have no right to barge in here and— "she yelped as a massive, beefy hand stung her cheek.

"Now see here," said the man who had shoved passed her in a mocking tone of voice. "Ye best do what the Dark Lord says or it'll be all the worse for you." He warned, with a crooked gap-toothed grin flashing lemony teeth.

Lilly paled, "The Dark— "she echoed and then stupidly, allowing her motherly instinct to take over she ran into the nursery where her baby boy was still sleeping soundly.

This was stupid because, naturally the three death-eaters followed her into the nursery and saw her child beneath his blue blanket in his now soiled jumper. Now awake and fussy Harry's loud wailing normally so ear-splitting was soundless compared to the thundering of her own heart in her ears. It was thudding, _dun-duh-duh-dun-duh-duh-dun-dun-dun_ over and over like the beating of a medieval executioner's drum. The sound, primal raw and deadly as it hurt her chest as she felt dizzy with fear and more than a little panic. She swayed on her feet, and the big one who had struck her took advantage of it and knocked her off her feet to her belly. Lilly just lie there for a moment stunned, frozen in horror as the man who had broken her china for fun picked up little Harry and looked down at him with narrowed brown eyes the sickly color of oil.

"My Lord, we have found him." He reported a little gleeful.

 **"** ** _Excellent."_** Said a chilling voice in a snakelike whisper.

Lilly laid there listening to them, having no idea what the three of them were talking about but knowing she didn't like the sound of it. Not one bit, but she was also no fool and so she simply lie there, listening, pretending to have hit her head hard enough to be knocked out. Why the Dark Lord and his goons wanted her son was a mystery to her; and one she knew she had to know the answer to although she was sure she didn't want to. Dumbledore had warned her in her seventh year about the dangers of prophecies and how they weren't to be taken lightly and what in the name of the Great Merlin did they mean the 'chosen one'.

"Snape isn't here my lord, just his bitch and their pup." The man sneered.

Lilly felt her blood boil at the sound of him calling her that; being raised in a muggle family she had always found that even worse than being called a mudblood, a mudblood while awful was something she knew was not true because her bloodline was not dirty but the term 'bitch' well that was just an insult of the worst kind and she raised her wand and her eyebrows screamed something at the man and the man's tongue twisted, twisted, twisted. Twisted until at last the man had no tongue at all but merely what looked like a squishy rope a violent shade of bubblegum pink. The man busied himself with untying his tongue was blubbering like some pissant child with a boo-boo and Lilly had to admit she was proud of herself for that one and knew her husband would be too when she had the occasion to tell him about it.

China-Breaker laughed heartily at the misery of his companion saying, "Never call a mudblood a bitch." He leered, "Master," he sneered glaring at her, "Which one should we dispatch?"

"We kill them both…" The Dark Lord hissed, "Leave no spares. Severus will pay for betraying me."

Lilly froze, Severus of course. He had been a death eater before they had married taken in by the Evil One's promises of greatness when she had gotten involved with James Potter from her third to fifth year. She had forgiven him that, and he had forgiven her in the end but still the dark Lord was not one to be crossed. Severus had turned an informant for Dumbledore for her sake and the sake of their child. James didn't like it but he had remained her friend with the promise of protection which begged the question how he had found her home. Either way it didn't matter. The point was, that he was here and intended to kill her children as punishment for her friend's crossing him.

She reached into the pocket on the hip of the muggle baking apron her mother had given her when she married Severus and felt the long smooth handle of her wand. She sent a prayer of thanks to Merlin that she hadn't put it back in the box as she intended and pointing it at Fat-Hand's heel she mouthed the torture curse and he screamed, his knees buckling as she slowly got to her feet glaring at him with complete conviction. Lilly didn't intend to kill either one of them, she would never use magic for evil. She had promised her mother as much, but hurting an intruder well that was an entirely different matter.

"Why you!" said China-breaker in a high-pitched voice raising his wand.

Lilly was having none of it;" _Crucio!"_ She shouted at the top of her voice and the man squealed like a pig dropping to the floor where he wailed loudly. The death eater buckled and fell to his knees and she reached up and yanked the dark hood from his head and recoiled. "Peter…"

Her emerald eyes met the gaze of her former friend with a mixture of hatred and pain. She couldn't believe the man asking which of them they were supposed to kill first was a man she had once considered to be one of her closest companions. Lilly felt tears coming to her eyes and wiped them furiously as he squirmed beneath her grip. She tightened her hands on his robe yanked his head up and dropped it hard to the wooden floor where he yelped in pain and then she did the most, childish muggle-oriented thing she could think of she gave him a good sharp open handed slap across the face. Hard enough to split his lip and he felt the trickle of blood on his lips.

"Why Wormtail, why did you bring him here!" she sobbed, forgetting the imminent danger her and her child were in because of her own personal hurt.

"I'm sorry Lilly, he would have killed me what would you have done?" He simpered, while her rage mounted.

Lilly raised her wand no mercy in her heart, "Avada…" she began when her legs were taken out from under her by Fat-Hand, her wand rolled away.

Then she heard that chilling hiss, "Worthless…swine…" The voice sneered and then the horrible words came out," _Avada Kadavra!"_ And the flash of sickly green light.

Lilly screamed as she witnessed something as horrible as a dead body for the first time in her life. He-who-must-not-be-named kicked his murdered henchman aside and advanced toward Harry in his crib. Harry was the younger one and so he would kill the young child first, because he had always derived pleasure from making older siblings and parents watch their baby die. He smiled cruelly as he lifted his wand to point at the child and Harry squirmed as Wormtail groveled on his knees, crawling on his belly till he knelt before the Dark Lord like Judas Iscariot to the high priest. Lilly had the impression of a witless worm or a sniveling rat as he snuffled and grabbed the hem of Voldemort's robe in his fat grubby hands.

"Forgive…me master… I failed…" he moaned as though he were Igor offering to pull the switch for Dr. Frankenstein in a muggle picture.

The Dark Lord placed his hand on Wormtail's balding head and said in a mock-soothing voice. "Go outside Wormtail, when you see the green light burn it to the ground."

"Yes Master." He groaned, limping away in a half-skulk that would have made Quasimodo envious.

Lilly felt panic rising sharp and burning like bile in her throat as she saw He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named moved toward Harry. She shot to her feet, running she stood in front of Harry and scooping him off the floor and clasping him tight to her chest where was Severus; why wasn't he home and what did the dark Lord want with their baby? Lilly had heard the stories of what the dark lord was capable of and that he had killed many others on something as simple as a whim. This was one evil man and she felt her very constitution being tested as her baby cooed and gurgled happily, unaware of the horrible danger he now faced.

He then hissed in a slithery voice: "Step aside woman and I will spare your life!" he advanced on the baby and her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach.

"Not Harry," she pleaded looking at the men with all the anguish of a mother whose son was to be sent to the chopping block, "Please, not Harry... take me, kill me, but please _not my baby!"_ her voice had rose to an ear-splitting shriek.

Voldemort smiled that cold, handsome, devilish smile of his and it made her stomach churn as if it were a muggle washing-machine on a high rinse spin cycle. His dark eyes were heartless and cruel, he seemed to be enjoying this in a way, the gleam in his eyes nearly orgasmic with pleasure as he shoved her aside. Clearly hard-hearted and heartless as he was Lilly realized what she was looking at and she felt herself vomit, projectile vomit all over the floor. She was looking at Tom Riddle, the dark one, the _thing_ that made everyone quiver in fear for he had killed many men and women and even children. No one lived when he decided to dispatch with them and for God only knew what reason; he had decided to kill her innocent one year old baby on his first birthday while his father was away.

The realization that this man attacked her and her infant child while her husband was away was something that made her feel less fear but rather angry and she ceased her sobbing pleas and raised her wand. This coward would not take the life of her child if their was any breath left in her body, and she wiped her eyes as she picked up the wand she had dropped in her panic. She then reached down picked up her book entitled _Tonics and Remedies_ _for the Muggle Mind,_ and chucked it mercilessly at the back of his head. Achieving her desired effect the evil man turned around and roared pointing his wand at her she swallowed hard and raised her wand as she heard the crib clatter to the ground and her child's scream as his tiny body hit the floor in what must've been a painful thump.

Lilly looked at her now wailing and frightened son and felt her courage rise as she blasted the dark lord with a cry of " _Stupefy_!"

The dark lord was flung backwards as another sickly red flash of light blasted him and a green flash of light blazed outside the window. Someone had been killed and Severus came roaring in leaping atop of Lord Voldemort and tackling him to the ground as he angrily got to his feet. The three men that had come in with Peter were lying unconscious on the floor and now with both facing him at once Lilly shouted something that no one else understood and with a howl of pain Voldemort was wiping a long smudge of black slime which was stuck to his eyes. Severus dismounted him, knowing he had only seconds before the now blindly aimed killing curses being shot about the room hit him and his family.

Too late!

With a yell of rage Voldemort wiped the burning sludge from his eyes and narrowing them, looked directly at Harry with raw hatred in his eyes. Lilly leapt in front of them wand raised for another defense but it was no use, Voldemort blasted her to the side with a loud crack and advanced on the baby, as reality swam before her eyes she saw the sickening flash of light and then, the strangest thing. The spell hit Harry but nothing happened, instead the child screamed in pain but the spell reverberated off him; hit his attacker and the dark lord shriveled up before her eyes with a sound that could only be described as the sound of a soul being torn from the body, tendril by cursed tendril.

Lilly got to her feet in horror, went over to Harry and held her child close for a long moment weeping as Severus went over to Lilly hugging her close to him. She sobbed and held him back the baby wailing between them and Severus's nose oozing blood as his obsidian eyes glinted with rage. Lilly nuzzled him, feeling his hair dangle just a little bit over her head as he kissed the top of it gently. Snape was close to tears as he went to his flower, and his baby and kissed and held them both. Hot tears, nearly boiling as she sobbed and held her husband and wept as she saw the purple bruise on her child's forehead. She stepped over the smoking cloak and bounced her baby to quiet him; telling him things like 'mama's here' and 'don't cry Harry, mummy has you' while Severus shook his head cursing over and over at the sight of his home and family in such a state.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he held her close.

Lilly shook her head in the negative, not saying anything because really she was for the first time in her relationship with him at a loss for words; she just held her child and cried. She cried and cried, not caring how it made her look at the moment; she cried less out of fear now and more out of relief. Relief that her son was alive and utter amazement at what she had just witnessed. The most powerful sorcerer in the world the most evil man she had ever seen was unable to hurt her baby boy and she, a mere doctor with not a tenth of the magical skill her adversary possessed had held him off long enough to ensure that her husband had made it home; she, the simple mudblood bitch the death eaters had named her had managed to stall the dark lord long enough to keep her family safe and now here she was. Safe for the moment; with her husband, with her son and out of harm's way. All these things being what they were she still could not seem to suppress the harsh convulsing sobs that shook her entire body.

"Sev…" she sobbed, holding the lapels of his black robes in her fists looking deep into his obsidian eyes, "where were you, we could've been killed!"

Severus shushed her and simply replied, "Albus is going to pay for this!" as he wrapped his cloak around her and the baby and they disappeared into the night.

The next thing Lilly saw was the mote in front of Hogwarts with nothing but the clothes on her back, a screeching infant and a very badly winded and somewhat bruised husband. Lilly felt her knees wobble and she collapsed becoming violently sick. She was tired, so very tired and Severus raised his wand and shot off a stream of crimson sparks she leaned weakly against the hollow of his leg as the tip of his wand which erupted into the air with a resounding bang; swam in her drowsy vision. He did it a second time, before kneeling and rubbing Lilly's shaking back and shushing his wailing son's tears as he noticed little Harry had a bloody cut on his forehead. Taking out his muggle handkerchief he wiped the blood away from the shrieking child he saw the cut had the horrible, dark shape of a lightning bolt.

"Seven Hells…" Severus muttered to the darkness as the huge mahogany doors swung open and Professor McGonagall, deputy headmistress at Hogwarts came sweeping out and heading straight for them.

"What happened?" she asked in a shrill voice, taking in the sight of them in their pajamas with two battered babies and a vomiting Lilly on the ground.

"Who happened is more like it." Severus said bitterly. "We were attacked Minerva. Vol-I mean you know who attacked little Harry."

"Good Heavens!" chirped Minerva, "But how did you escape?"

"Minerva not now," Severus replied irritably, "I need to see that bumbling fool who claims to be headmaster here." she smiled thinly, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes well," stammered Professor McGonagall, "You will both come with me." then looking down she clicked her tongue pityingly, "Poor dear." she sniffed a single tear glistening her in each of her eyes.

Lilly who had not seemed to notice the newcomer, did not smile, she did not say a word she had stopped being sick but was now leaning against Severus' leg her small child clutched in her arms and a little streak of drool going down her chin clearly sound asleep as Severus took a stirring Harry from her arms who whimpered at losing his mother's warmth but settled quickly into his father's shoulder, sleeping within minutes oblivious to the world around him. Safe now within his father's arms the baby seemed to have forgotten the trauma of the evening as his father's heart beat against his ear and his mother snored softly beneath them.

"You haven't changed a bit have you Snape?" Professor McGonagall asked pointedly, peering at him knowingly over the bridge of her long-pointed nose.

"No." Severus retorted, glad for some light banter in the wake of this disaster, but then a huge yawn took him and he had to cover his mouth. "Sorry it's just been a long night Professor."

"Quite right," Professor McGonagall agreed lifting a now sleeping Lilly into her arms with a feather-light charm and carrying her to the Gryffindor dormitories.

At the door to the common room however, the fat Lady who had been snoring loudly in her portrait, her head resting on the gilded frame she bolted awake when Professor McGonagall tapped at her with the tip of her wand. She snorted and bolted upright and the bottle of fire whiskey she had been drinking toppled over and smeared across the hem of her dress causing her to utter a rather embarrassed yelp and wring out her dress so the liquid dribbled down into a brown puddle and then evaporated into the magical paint becoming as if it was never there.

The Fat Lady hiccoughed, barking "Password."

"Owl Feathers." McGonagall stated firmly and the Fat Lady peered down at them.

"Oh Mr. Snape! So, GOOD to see you again!" chortled the portrait, "and with a family too, who is this little one?"

"Harry," said Severus softly trying not to wake his family and wishing the Fat Lady would shut up and let him into lie Lilly and the baby down.

"And Ms. Evans too!" She cried out, then noticing Lilly was asleep looked incredulous and snapped, "so RUDE wake up and say hello would you!" she was so loud that woke, bawling loudly and Lilly groaned weakly in Professor McGonagall's arms and opened her eyes blinking as she sobbed in her old Head-of-house's arms.

Professor McGonagall set her on her feet and embraced her gently in a maternal fashion, "Shh Lilly it's all right." She said as she glared at the portrait and snapped, " _Owl Feathers!"_

"Quite right!" Grumped the fat Lady as she muttered about the impertinence of living wizards and their ill manners and swung the door aside. Lilly wept as she held her child and went upstairs to the dormitories where Minerva laid her down and placed the baby in a dresser drawer lined with linens.

"Mmm Sev… don't go…" pleaded Lilly but Severus wasn't listening, instead he picked up his son and swept down the hall.

The former death-eater usually so calm so quiet and so steady was boiling with a blood-soaked fury that would have made a warlock tremble as he made his way to the headmaster's office and spat the password as he came upon a snoring Dumbledore, an open tin of lemon drops resting on the surface of the mahogany desk. With a resounding crack, he slammed the door so hard that his son wailed in his arms waking the man who blinked, thoroughly dazed he batted his periwinkle eyes and smiled.

"Severus," he yawned gently, stretching his arms, "Did you come at this hour just to show me your baby?" he asked meeting his icy glare easily.

"You…Lied…to…me…"


	2. Of Bloodshed and Babies

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter Two**

 _Of Bloodshed and Babies_

The wrath on the potions master's face was akin to the darkness of the devil himself, the hard coldness of his eyes could make even the ugliest boggart see _him_ as their greatest fear and scurry for safety back into the furthest recesses of the deepest, blackest, moldiest cabinet in the whole of England to get away. Dumbledore tried to keep his face blank, to belie the many emotions running like so many decapitated chickens through his sleepy brain. He had fallen asleep at his office, getting ready for the coming term which was to start in a mere five weeks and pouring over a seemingly never-ending mountain of parchment.

Tedious work, his least favorite part of the whole business. Students to expel and books to order, contracts to renew and release. Promotions to set in place and demotion forms to fill out, supplies to be restocked and taken inventory of. Filch's checklist lie shabbily unfolded and the wrinkles lazily and -the old man had to admit- rather pathetically smoothed out so that his scratchy handwriting was just hardly legible enough to read. Amendments and Addendums to school rules which needed to be written down for fear he would forget them and be ill-prepared in the wake of some disaster for he was sure that Lord Voldemort was on his way to his old school.

As headmaster, it was Dumbledore's solemn duty to protect the school and its students from any threat big or small and the most dangerous wizard in a century was surely the largest threat in the world. Everyone in it was under his sworn protection, and considering that most of them were children some as young as eleven who appeared even younger still they looked to him for protection and guidance, as if he were the father of all these children, grandfather even. Patriarch to a huge family with very little knowledge of defensive magic, nothing beyond a disarming charm or two: one could only imagine the pressure the recently-eldered man was under. He truly believed he had better things to do, more important things than sit at his desk.

Far more important than the work he now had to deal with, there was a man more dangerous than Grindelwald the man had killed, raped and tortured hundreds and yet here he was confined to his desk staring down a large hill of odious busy-work instead of doing something truly important. He sighed deeply, oh how he dreaded the work, for he had procrastinated too long and now it appeared that it would be a very long night for him indeed. Still the old Professor was nothing if not hard working and ambitious and so he got his tin of lemon drops and promised himself he would treat himself to one every five pages or so.

Several hours later, the tin half empty, his inkwell splattered across the table thoroughly ruining the papers in front of him. his half-moon spectacles dangling off the edge of his rather plump spiral-shaped ears, the old man had fallen asleep in his high-backed chair. He was snoring, his mouth open in his slumber and a little bit of drool leaking down his chin in a most undignified way as a nightmare; one he never cared to admit he had but one he had suffered so often that it merely served him with the gift of a migraine in the morning rather than causing him to jerk awake in the far-reaches of the night. Instead, it played on what seemed to be a never-ending wheel, or a musical track set annoyingly to repeat and was just about to begin again when suddenly-

"ALBUS!" a voice screamed at full volume as he dismissed it as part of his dream, he was in mid-snore when, "in the name of merlin open this bloody door or else!"

Still believing himself somewhat in his dreams he moaned, "go away." and turned his head.

His nightmare growled, "I am going to count backwards from three and you had better open this door or I will."

"I'm so tired, "moaned the poor old man, ignoring the soft menacing voice counting behind the heavy door, "please…"

 _Crash!_

He was jolted awake by the sound of an intruder banging open the office door and as he blinked to see the boy who had once been his favorite student. Still in his black cloak, a bruise under his eye and a bloody nose now dried a gross shade of brown, a color that made Dumbledore's stomach churn as it reminded him of human excrement. But even more shocking was the baby he was holding obviously, his child for the messy black hair and somewhat pointed nose told Albus that the boy was indeed his son. The baby was red faced, clad in a jumper whose blue color was damn near unrecognizable under the smears of dirt; bruised and bleeding the tracks of dry tears on his cheeks. He too looked tired and disheveled now wailing in the arms of his furious parent.

"Severus…" he said in obvious surprise and more than a little affection, "did you come to have me meet your baby?"

He opened his arms to receive the child, but Severus lurched across the table and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck with his one free hand, his voice a deadly whisper, " _You lied to me,"_ he repeated, _"you bastard!"_

Severus yanked the man up and pinned him to the wall, punching him hard in the face with a vicious right hook. The old man groaned in pain and tried to blink his rapidly swelling eye to see the man looking murderous to put it mildly. To see the cool, callous, calculating Slytherin so frazzled was strange to Albus and he smiled knowing something big was about to happen as the caretaker Argus Filch ran upstairs in an absolute panic noting the headmaster wiping his sleepy eyes as he babbled about trying to stop him.

"I told him you were indisposed headmaster but he refused to listen." The squib threw up his hands in frightened surrender as Snape whirled on him, wand at the ready.

"You're goddamn right and if you don't get the bloody hell out of my way you will be next." He growled viciously, causing a suspiciously smelly puddle to form beneath the hem of his tattered robe.

"Don't hurt me!" squeaked the poor fellow who had begun to tremble from pole to foot.

"That'll do Argus," Dumbledore said weakly a little more afraid than he liked to admit for he had never seen the man this angry in all his years of acquaintance, "why don't you bring us some refreshment.

Filch happy for an excuse to leave stammered, "Yes headmaster." And ran like the very devil down the hall leaving him alone with the angry wizard.

Dumbledore, poured two steaming goblets from his ordered a pot of coffee and handed one to Severus motioning for the man to sit and, when he did not spoke in a soft even voice. "I did not lie, your position is secure here."

"YOU PROMISED WE WOULD BE SAFE!" Roared the former Death-Eater with an uncharacteristic ferocity.

"And you are…" replied the old man in a fatherly tone now woken fully and aware of the other's panic, "You have a career here your wife, everything you could— "

"Is _this_ what you call safe!" he snapped angrily pointing to his face and clothes, "and just look at little Harry!" he handed the baby to the old man who stroked the now crying child's bangs back from his face.

Albus Dumbledore considered himself a brave man; he had faced many dark wizards in his day and seen far more than his share of death, war, pain and bloodshed in his time. But nothing had prepared him for this, having just left the man with a promise of a new career as the potions master here and a cheer to the joy of his son's first birthday. Having assumed all was well the two men had shaken hands and he had gone on his way back home to his wife and small child for the small family birthday party his wife Lilly was having for their one year old son. Severus was never a happy man, or rather he had trouble showing it; being of rather serious character the one time he did light up was when he talked about his family.

He could go on and on with everything from the pettiest of complaints about Lilly's annoying little habits, from her love of muggle musicals to her constant fussing and humming as she bustled around the house doing her best to be a happy Susie-homemaker all the while unable to hide her brilliant studious nature, to extoling the virtues of her courage, strength and fierceness of her emotions when it came to her and the baby. Albus had very much enjoyed seeing this side of the man, normally so stoic and cross expressing such joyous emotions and chattering about his child's love of owls and the way he could insert his whole foot in his mouth; and all the other things a new parent did upon the birth of their firstborn.

The headmaster, happy to know that his old pupil was settled in life at his mother's old home with a son of his own was a blessing onto itself. When the man had come to him asking for a job and told him that he was at last found some joy in his home, his life and the girl he had always wanted made his old headmaster happy and they had shared several drinks, Severus uncharacteristically happy as he showed his curious acquaintance fawned with twinkling periwinkle eyes over pictures of little Harrison with all the overjoyed enthusiasm of a proud grandpapa who was seeing the first-born heir to his own line rather than the baby of a man who had at one time been the right-hand man of his greatest adversary.

In fact, if one did not know the history between them, one might have assumed they were old friends rather than unlikely allies. The two had parted ways as he made Severus give him a rare, proud smile as he was told that in payment of his debt of service he not only would he be given a career at the school but also be given the honor of being head of house to Slytherin, the house of the mother he had loved so much and the one where he had once been a star pupil in. What a change it was to see the man smile, his onyx eyes gleaming with what was unmistaken pride as he struggled to maintain his cool, unaffected placidity as he thanked the man and rose to take his leave of him with a bow of his dark head.

But now as he stared at the lightning scar on his head he felt sick, "Which curse?" he asked softly, worriedly.

"Deadly." Was his father's soft reply.

Dumbledore's eyes widened, "Who?"

"My former employer." Replied Severus in a biting tone.

His now-employer turned a sickly shade of white, "And Lilly…" he asked slowly, his stomach knotting in fear.

"Alive," Severus told him, then with an admittedly proud smile, "My flower managed to hold them at bay till I got there."

The other, who had not been aware that he was now clasping the baby to his chest and stroking his hair seemed to relax and loosen his grip, "How?" he asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Hell, if I know," Severus growled, "I got home with a toy owl and walked in on curses, disarms and dead bodies."

"And you did not ask her?" Asked Dumbledore.

"No," admitted her husband, "she is rather hysterical."

Albus nodded, "I can imagine." Then slowly deliberately, "fetch her for me?"

"But she is sleeping in Gryffindor Tower and I do not want to wake her." Severus replied.

Albus got to his feet and gave the raging man a gentle look, "I know Severus but she is the only one who witnessed the whole encounter and therefore the only one who can truly tell me how it is that both she- and your baby- survived with little more to show for it then a black eye and a scar."

Severus nodded knowing he was right but loathed to wake his poor exhausted wife, nodding saying, "You are right of course, I will go fetch her."

The old man watched him leave, watching him intently, his eyes resting on the places he had been, long, long after he left his sight. Albus, having known the man since childhood or rather school age was happy to see that the troubled Slytherin boy had finally gotten some peace in his life. After so many difficult times, drunken absent fathers, depressed and lonesome mothers and a life of poverty that made a homeless beggar look fortunate. He had always known Severus was fond of Lilliana Evans and had comforted the boy for the two terrible years she had been involved with the handsome, and wealthier James Potter. The bully, the star-student with a silver spoon in his mouth; the one student who could have the pick of any girl in the castle and he wanted the one girl that Severus had ever cared about.

The headmaster remembered comforting -on more than one occasion- the crying, small-and-skinny-for-his-age teenage boy as he sat in his office holding her picture. Other men might have found this pathetic but Dumbledore knew what it was like to be holding such a torch, having been prone to the pangs of unrequited love on more than one occasion. The pain had been so great that Severus had been drawn to the dark arts and to their villainous master. Who had promised him everything he wanted if he joined with him; this Dumbledore understood. for although Snape had been but a small boy at the time, the dark lord -much like Albus himself- had a knack for spotting students with great potential.

Unlike the old man however, the Dark Lord prided himself on being a master manipulator and had no qualms whatsoever about using an innocent teenage boy for the means to his end. He knew what Severus wanted and set about teaching him. Tutoring him in all sorts of underhanded tricks that he had no business learning at that tender age- if ever. Making sure to play the father that Severus never had; the father he longed for so deeply, praising him giving him gifts, telling him how proud he was whenever Snape had learned something new. Acting the role of the proud father as he set about showing him ways to get what he wanted with little to no effort on his own part.

Severus being lonely, fatherless and more ambitious than a woodpecker soaked it up like a sponge. Learning all sorts of hideous mind control spells that he had thought to use on her and force her to love him. Spells that had he used, not only would he have been expelled for; but probably would have ended up doing quite a few years in Azkaban due to his breaking every decent wizarding law other than murder to get what he wanted. So, desperate was the young man that Albus remembered how the poor, bullied boy had even contemplating using a love potion on her the flame burned so strong and Albus had feared he had truly lost the boy forever.

He had often caught the boy sneaking out of his dormitory at night to the room of requirement where the vanishing cabinet lay in waiting to take him to wherever it was that Lord Voldemort was hiding in waiting for his insidious protégée. Albus had followed him wearing a well-made if slightly imperfect invisibility cloak as he stepped in beside him and they whizzed and whirled off into the dizzying blackness of magical teleportation as they sped to Merlin only knew where at a pace that would have made a racing broom seem like the muggle version: slow and immobile without human assistance.

Albus very much hated traveling this way and much preferred the quick comfort of aparating rather than the spiraling dizziness assaulting him but he had to know where this boy was going and why. He was not one to admit it but the young wizard had become one of his favorite charges as of late and he felt an almost paternal feeling toward him, more than he had any other student who had come before him as if this _child_ ; this lost lonely boy was the son he had always longed for but had never possessed the fortune to bare. The long afternoons in his office giving him sweets and comforting his injured heart while the teenager eyed him -at one time or another- with the utmost admiration were some of his favorite times and these wayward ventures were a cause for great concern to say the least.

Dumbledore had learned a long time when he was a mere professor of transfiguration at Hogwarts half a century ago to not only be a gentle guardian but also a suspicious one. After Tom Riddle had unleashed a basilisk on the muggle-borns of the school in his sixth year Albus had learned a very hard lesson. He had learned the hard lessons that academic excellence and charming behaviors did _not_ insure excellence of character; and titles like 'head boy' meant little to nothing at all if the young man behind them did not see the honorific as a measuring stick for which to live up to but an entitlement, to which he was long overdue. Not an accomplishment, but a _right_ which had too long been denied him/

Albus had worried about Tom's seemingly apathetic attitude to all but the suffering of others which he seemed to enjoy, but to his shame had not felt close enough to the needy, orphaned boy who had gone mad with hatred for all things non-magical due to the abuse he had suffered in his surrogate home. Hating muggles because of his filthy muggle father who had abandoned him before he was born, hating his mother even in her witchdom for the weakness of her mortal body and her sentimental heart and vented his rage first in torturing and bullying muggle-borns in that stereotypical Slytherin way.

An infraction that was little more frightening than an angry Cornish Pixie and little more worth punishing than removing points from the house whenever a member of the faculty happened to catch it walking by. But then he had made the mistake of falling in…well not in love but rather into a deep infatuation with the wealthy and oddly beautiful Eileen Prince. Or at least she might have been had she smiled every now and then. A fellow Slytherin the witch had been pureblood and possessing of great power, something the boy was instantly attracted to, and what she lacked in beauty she made up for with a mental sharpness that would have made any professor there go mad with envy at the ease their matters came to her.

There was no subject she could not master almost at once and no man she could not read almost entirely upon first meeting. Naturally she had seen what Dumbledore himself had and thus turned down the head boy much to the surprise of those, less perceptive around her who didn't understand why the head boy wanted anything to do with Pruney, prudy prince to begin with. A rejection he might add, that Thomas Marvolo Riddle the II did not take lightly to put it in a gentle tone. He had raged, fumed and made threats that he would later make good on and all anyone had done was admonish him that he would find someone else.

He had failed Thomas, failed him in the worst way, allowed the darkness and the loneliness of his tragedies to poison him to the point of where his once innocent white soul had been painted the color of pitch and made it as slimy and unpleasant as its color's namesake. He had failed him… but perhaps he could help his only begotten son; it was sadly too late for Lord Voldemort, but it was _not_ too late for Severus. Hence why on that terrible Halloween night so many years ago he had ended up in the middle of a midnight glade stalking the child of the man, who no one dared speak his given name.

He used a silencing spell on his own feet to hush the sound his feet would make on the caramel-colored leaves long dead from winter cold and he followed watching him closely fearing that Lord Voldemort had discovered the truth of this child and worse had told the boy. The lonely fifteen-year-old boy had no idea and it was going to stay that way. He had no need to, it was bad enough that he was abused at home without knowing of the rape that this monster had done to his mother and the resentment that his stepfather had for him due to the blame; unduly placed on the woman to which he had once professed the deepest love for.

Thomas Riddle, now Lord Voldemort had met the boy with a firm hand on the top of his head and handed him a vile of something or other had sent the child on his way. When he had reached Slytherin dormitory Albus had followed him in and searched his cloak pockets to find the tiny crimson bottle. An illegal and very powerful love potion long-declared a controlled substance by the Ministry the same one that Tom's mother had used on his father with disastrous results. Albus had taken it and tossed it out the window and the boy had been so distraught that he thought he had failed a second time.

Lilly thank Merlin, had come to her senses just in time to save her childhood friend's life; given him not only a reason to live, but a reason to change his ways. Lilly had done the seemingly impossible, neatly prying the dark lord's hooks from him with three simple words, 'I love you.' And as the two of them came into the room, Severus' ebony eyes fiercely protective and her own eyes weary beyond comprehension. She stood and threw her arms around her old headmaster who embraced her wholeheartedly and cuddled her close to him as if she were his own frightened daughter waking from a nightmare in the dead of night.

"Oh, Albus it was horrible!" Lilly sobbed into his chest and the old wizard kissed her head.

"There, there dear one…" he crooned, "Tell me everything."

Lilly did, she told him the whole harrowing tale, from Voldemort threatening their baby, to Peter's betrayal (she cried a little at this) and finally the cursing of the baby and the backfiring of the spell. Dumbledore listened intently watching her every move as she exhausted herself; sobbing and taking the baby from his arms to clutch him tightly and stand by the window, rocking her now sleeping child while she clutched him to her breast as if she feared the return of the man and not being so lucky a second time. Severus came to her and offered her a steaming goblet of coffee which she pushed away with a tired shake of her head.

Albus for his part had kept his eyes on Lilly the whole time, not saying anything for several moments. "Hogwarts will give you asylum as long as you need, you are safe now." He stood and went to pull her and the child he wanted so badly to be his grandson down to an easy chair where her breath was released from her chest in a harrowing sob.

"Drink," her husband pressed her gently, "you have had a long night my flower." And Albus was more than a little touched to see the tenderness passing between them.

Again, she shook her head, "Coffee is not good for the baby," she said placing Severus' hand on her still-flat belly.


	3. Aftermath

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter three**

 _Aftermath_

Severus Tobias Snape was to say the least a hard man to unsettle having seen and done many things in his short 21 years of life. Things that would have caused many a lessor witch or wizard to run cowering for the nearest dungeon in which to hide. He had been to creepy and exotic places, done large stints of herbology research to create the deadliest potions one could imagine and even used a couple of them on a few unsuspecting victims who had happened to cross his former employer on a bad day or just in general. And admittedly enjoyed that, having been a mischievous boy at school with a rather dark and foreboding sense of humor, he liked to make up spells in his old books and scribble them in the margins.

Severus had always been the kind of young man who enjoyed an occasional hex on the help. Finding delight in his ability to get away with things-as most young men for his age often did. it was common knowledge around Prince Manor that the young master was a mischivious sort. one with a rather complicit mother at that. Eileen have never been one to believe her baby boy who was capable of such heinous acts , he was rather cherubic in his way and was not someone who was incapable of fooling somebody else; when in truth behind the angel face the mind of rather mischievious pixie who used his cunning nature to the detriment of others.

He had always had a rather macabre sense of humor, one where he found horror movies more humorous than frightening as it were, loved dark colors like black and was the sort of teenage boy who was apt to decorate his room in pictures of long dead and rather rebellious wizards. Snape was never what one might call 'goth' or emo; he did not cut himself or wear strictly black outside of his school uniforms and did not wear makeup on his face. But he did enjoy pulling mean-spirited pranks on the help at Prince Manner only to be petted by his mother and indulged with a tender tisk-tisk and sent on his way with a light admonishment to behave; which of course he never did.

Nasty spells that cut people up, made their tongues swell, messed with their minds to make them talk to and see things which were never actually there… and that was just in childhood. The tricks and spells he had dabbled in as a fully of-age wizard were the sort of thing one might read in a horror story meant to secure the behavior in an otherwise very naughty child. Something the boogey man might use if one misbehaved to drag them down into the belly of his otherworld where they would be tortured for all time. In fact, if that fool Cornelius Fudge over at the Ministry knew even a tenth of what he had done in the past four years since graduating school; he was sure he would have earned himself a one-way ticket to Azkaban no trials or questions asked.

But nothing had prepared him for this. The 21yr old man now looked upon the childhood friend he had always loved as she made a rather feeble attempt at a smile. He searched her eyes, hoping against hope that this was a cruel joke; some sort of payback for him not being home when she needed him. It wasn't of course, Lilly was many things but cruel was not one of them and she would never joke about something as serious as a baby being born. but the last two words from Lilly's mouth made him freeze as if someone had put him beneath a petrifying curse; he simply could not believe that she had gone and gotten pregnant at a time like this!

His innocent baby so fragile, so utterly at the mercy of their mother's fate he thanked god that Lilly was strong enough to hold him off enough for Snape to get there. To get there and force him off but then the monster had attacked little Harry. Seven hells! How Harry survived that he would never understand and wasn't sure he wanted to. But how could Lilly not have the good sense to not be pregnant right now when she was in so much danger just was enough to drive him crazy; surely, she the one-time head girl had more good sense than to be making a baby inside her and fight Death-Eaters at the same time! He could not wrap his mind around it, this was just too much for him and when he looked at Lilly all he could do was blink.

Pregnant.

Lilly was pregnant… tonight's events had all happened while he wasn't home to protect his pregnant wife and baby son. He felt his stomach drop out from his body, how he wished he could run to the bathroom and deal with the sudden incontinence of his insides now liquefying rapidly. He had to swallow several times to swallow the bile threatening to force his coffee up from where it was using a mix of stomach fluid and acid to force it out of his mouth but it was of little help to him; his heart felt like a grapefruit being squished by a pain of giant leathery hands for its juice. He felt much like he imagined a grapefruit might just before it was served up for breakfast.

Cut open, his insides exposed to the large spoon that was his love for his wife and two children and being scooped out and mawed on by horrible knowing beast that was his fear. The terrifying realization that he had almost lost everything in one night. The knowledge that Voldemort could have killed not one of his children but two was a pain deep in his soul and he wanted to scream. Lilly was on her feet now having set her teacup down but he went to her and pushed her back down into the chair, no one spoke as the time seemed to restart again slowly ever so slowly, so slowly in fact that it was practically unnoticeable as all he thought of was how much he couldn't believe his ears… he simply couldn't believe it.

More like he did not want to believe it for he was not a stupid man and knew very well that it took more than one person to make a baby. But still at a time like this, of all the time to tell him… Severus was reeling from shock and time seemed to freeze for everyone in the room. It had become so silent that one could hear a pin drop and his breathing sounded like roaring in his ears. The combination of his breath and the incessant noise was causing his head to pound mercilessly in his temples. All around him he seemed to be surrounded by relentless noise, meaningless idle noise that was driving him insane and he found his eyes darting wildly around the room as if looking for a means of escape from the racket to no avail.

Clattering of tick-tocks and beeps and thumps as clocks, hourglasses and metronomes seemed to make a cacophony of noise so painful on the ears that Snape had to summon every ounce of control to keep from wincing. The sounds that were so ordinary under normal circumstances that no one would have taken any notice of them were now excruciating. Minute things like the snoring of Dumbledore's phoenix seemed to rumble in the background like a growl of a dangerous beast rather than a bird who looked to be near burning at any moment. Snape was glad of this and of the fact that his son was too young yet to understand that the majestic bird was soon going to die and come back to life again absent its pretty colors.

He, himself had seen the life-cycle of a phoenix many times over the course of his life, his mother having owned one all his life or at least so far as the now grown wizard could recall. Hers was named Bambi after a muggle picture about a deer that she had seen once when he was a little boy. It had been her favorite but he had never really been allowed to watch it because he was always so attached to his mother that the very image of a mother dying was and was just too much for him. Severus was not one to admit it but he was deep down a very sensitive man even more so as a young boy and the thought of his mother dying was simply unbearable.

In fact, as he had been little more than a small boy, just nearly five years of age at the time his mother had gotten him a present to make him feel better about it all. Presenting her son with the bird that had accompanied him to Hogwarts and had been his lifelong friend throughout his childhood. The bird which his mother had brought him a phoenix with plooms of feathers in deep emerald and pine green with dark chocolate eyes. Snape had always had a soft spot for green and thought Bambi to be the most beautiful bird he had ever seen. That was until the ruddy animal had one of his burning days. It had been sick for some time and little Severus had tried everything he could to make it better, every tonic and potion his mother had a recipe for in the house but nothing seemed to work.

He had been sad and told his mother of his worries but Eileen in that true Prince fashion had told her son that it was best to let these things run their course; assuring him that all would be well in the end. Severus was unconvinced as children often are and insisted upon moving the bird into his room to keep a closer eye on his pet. Eileen, not being able to deny her boy very much if anything at all agreed and the two of them -the boy and the bird- were together ever since. He was heartbroken when one morning he had made the bird some tea and tonic (which the bird promptly refused to drink) before squawking and freaking the hell out of the poor lad who wailed that his feather friend had gone and left him forever; only to see that amid his pain and sadness the blasted thing did not even have the common sense of decency to be dead.

Rather his feathered companion had succumbed to the fire; only to pop back up stark naked and squeaky as an unrepentant church mouse, only to begin its life all over again. From then on, the curious boy had watched it closely finding it beautiful when it flourished and honestly ugly beyond description when it was having a burning day. Every half decade or so the animal would just burst into spontaneous combustion complete with orange flames leaping about and a horrible stink of burning flesh. Only to pop back up back up naked and pink as the freshly spanked behind of an infant. Minus the feathers and all it was a shell of its former self and was in truth an ugly little thing reminiscent of a rat. A naked rat as a matter of fact; as squeaky and vein-ridden as anything and not very pleasant to look at.

But not nearly as horrendous as this mess of a sickly bird lolling and lollygagging about on his perch which squeaked as it swung rather pathetically back and forth in the confines of his bars. It was really a hideous sight, all malting and spotted bald at points where its once lovely crimson feather laid smattering along the metal bars of his gilded cage. It bugged Severus for some reason, and he found himself wishing it would just burn already and have done with it. Severus would have considered himself to be very rude were he a phoenix to be lingering in such a state to have the whole world eyeing him in such a state when it wasn't like he would not be reborn in a moment or two after death. And in front of his baby boy and wife no less, most inconsiderate of him if his opinion was asked.

His family was not paying much attention to the situation really, Lilly, too polite in her nature to say a word even if she did notice the condition of Dumbledore's pet and little Harry was asleep on Dumbledore's lap. Lilly was still in the chair having summoned a steaming pot of herbal decaffeinated tea to the office and was sipping the brew with her swollen and no doubt achy feet on a wooden crate. She was smiling as she watched Harry sleep his thumb in his mouth and a tiny smile on his face as Albus smoothed his messy dark hair, combating his mother's usual battle of flattening his hair for her to no avail. Every time he smoothed it; the messy hair popped right back up again, although it didn't seem to disgruntle the old man in the slightest.

Frankly he was rather enjoying himself and made cooing noises at the child much to his mother's enjoyment and she giggled. But his father took no interest in the baby now as the world spun around him, making him dizzy; making him sick. His stomach and lungs clenching like the insides of an accordion being played out of tune by a huge mountain troll. The color drained from Severus's already pale face to make his already chalky complexion appear ashen white. He looked as though he might be ill at any moment, nauseated and more than a little shocked at the news that he was soon to be a father again.

The only thing Severus could focus on was that Lilly had been in so much danger when Albus had sworn by Merlin that no harm would come to them in exchange for his cooperation. But that had been a miscalculation on his part; Severus had to be fair as it were, for he was certain that the man with all his great magical abilities and so on and so forth had no way of knowing that the dark lord would appear to them that night in all his vengeful glory. Let alone take out his anger on a pregnant woman and a baby boy; Severus had known to the Dark Lord to be many things over his years of servitude. Not the least was cruel, selfish and vengeful, certainly, manipulative to name a few but never irrational and it seemed very irrational for him to take his anger out on a baby and an innocent woman waiting alone for him at home.

Alone.

The weight of that simple five letter word coursing over and over through his mind nearly knocked the wind clean out of his chest. His wife had been alone and in danger and he had been away leaving his wife and his family at the mercy of the evilest man since Grindelwald and his baby, unborn though they were being so helpless inside of their mother's womb and he placed a protective hand over her belly as his new employer watched him with bright, curious eyes, Albus, if he had not known better would have thought the man to come down with a bad case of the muggle influenza. Pale and ashen as he was, Severus sank weakly to his knees before the woman he loved.

His surrogate father not daring to move as he saw the young woman stroke his hair and the man then begin to weep openly; long shuddering sobs that went through him, causing him to shake so much that they seemed to be dragged forth from his very soul. His black eyes normally as deep and unfathomable as the galaxy itself were gleaming and bright as a turbulent of emotions traveled across his face. Everything from fear, sadness worry, panic and absolute adoration. He dropped to his knees, long spindly fingers clasping desperately at the hem of her robes; tears running down his face as he twisted the suede fabric of her nightdress in dark blue balls of fabric so tight that his white knuckles turned slightly pink from the exertion.

Severus released her abruptly and turned pointing his wand at a self-cleaning washbasin he summoned it to him and at last, much to the relief of his fractured nose and constantly turning stomach, gave into his nausea and vomited freely. The coffee and tea-sandwiches he had eaten earlier emptied from his stomach and he stood up with great dignity and took his pocket handkerchief from the front of his robe. Severus was fumbling as he tried to unfold it so Lilly smiling gently, took it from him and dipped it into the vase of tulips for water and washed his face off. She was still smiling as she finished her task but there was no joy in her face; the smile was more to comfort him then her for he sobbed and shook so violently that he could not hold his head up and laid in her lap, face hidden as he let out a long-suffering wail. Her hands gripped his hair and she too began to cry as the same aforementioned thoughts pummeled her brain causing the most splitting headache and for the second time that day he began to weep and shake and cry.

" _Seven hells, "_ Severus groaned, rubbing his now throbbing temples. Everything hurt, from his head to his veins it was all abuzz and burning, he felt faint and sick to his stomach.

Dumbledore spoke out first, "Easy Severus easy," he soothed, blue eyes twinkling.

Severus glared at him, "my wife was pregnant and alone and you expect me to take it easy!"

Albus stood slowly, he could only imagine his would-be son was feeling right now. He had promised him that he and his family would be safe; and indeed they were. Alive and well and no worse for the ware. But nevertheless, the terror the three of them were no doubt feeling was visible. Easing the man down into a chair he gave him some water and rose solomely to his feet.

"I know it is difficult but I promise you everything's fine." then slowly he added, "for now..."

 **A/n shorter than usual but this just seemed the perfect place to stop.**


	4. The boy who Lived

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter four**

 _The Boy who Lived_

"What do you mean for now?" Severus was wild eyed and frightened.

Albus squeezed his shoulder, "Everything will be all right, you are safe for now." he repeated in a tone that said he would say no more on the matter.

Lilly was so preoccupied with her husband's hysteria she barely heard her old head-master reassuring him again for what must've been the twelfth time that day that everything was indeed all right. He seemed disbelieving and unsure, not that she blamed him for this, for truth-be-told she was just as frightened if not more so than he was. After all, it was she, Lilly who was the pregnant one not him and she'd been the one to have to fend off the death-eaters mostly on her own. If one did a mind-reading charm on her one would have seen a traumatized little girl curled up and rocking herself back and forth for comfort. While gibbering like some idiot and being driven mad by the whirling dervish of her own thoughts. But if there were two things she learned as a Gryffindor at Hogwarts it was one, to always be brave and two for heavens sake don't lose your senses in a time of crisis; Professor McGonagall had drilled that into her and all of her housemates from the moment they had the fortune or misfortune -depending on how one looked at it-to come under her tutelage.

She had always admired her sense of duty, courage and protectiveness and wanted to be just like her when she grew up, but then that was no surprise for, Professor McGonagall had a special relationship with Lilly, one that only her closest friends and husband knew about. so for her it was a good thing she had learned this lesson early on, otherwise she would be hiding in the corner right now when her family needed her the most. Her family... she was having a second child, she really was going to have a family, a typical nuclear family. Well by wizarding standards, and the poor lonely boy next door who was always starving and covered in bruises was finally going to get that happy life which had always seemed just beyond his reach. It had seemed that way at least until tonight, when that monster had shown up and tried to kill them for no reason other than what appeared to be a bruised ego. It wasn't like he didn't have several other goons to do his evil work so what did it matter if Severus didn't want to work for him anymore?

Lilly had heard of these things happening in the muggle world, where violent gang members senselessly killed those who chose to leave the organization for want of a better and safer life. She had seen in the London Times how muggles, using guns, knives and whatever other manor of crude and highly personal object to exact all manor of bloody vengeance on those who they felt wronged them in some superfluous way or another. She had always thought those people were more silly than terrifying, having spent the majority of her life around children and one of their first lessons being to use their words and not fists or sticks. To use anything other than verbal sparring in the midst of an argument would be considered a temper-tantrum and they would be sent to the corner for punishment. The idea that children were otherwise better behaved than the dark lord caused the ghost of a smile to play along her rosy lips but it was quickly tempered as she caught sight of her baby boy and remembered the lightning shaped scar now marking her beautiful baby forever; the mark of a curse.

And not just any curse either, that mark had come from a deadly evil curse; Lilly felt her insides liquefying as she saw the fight flash before her eyes and thought of losing little Harry. The sickly flash of green light flashed before her eyes. She reached for Severus and held him close as she thought about what her marriage to him had almost done to her; her own sense of self-preservation warred with the love she had always felt for the little boy next-door who had taught her not to fear her own magic. The boy who had allowed her to be herself when the muggle world thought her to be odd and abnormal, Severus had told her that she was special, that she was in fact worth something and that being a witch made her not odd but unique. Lilly loved him for that, and the more she thought about it the more she blamed herself, she and her meaningless teenage flirtation with James Potter had driven him to this and how her growing up had led to his betrayal of the madman and the events of tonight as senseless as they were.

Wanting vengeance and going after the man himself was bad enough but to go after his baby boy and pregnant wife simply because, -for lack of a better term- Severus did not want to play with him anymore was just beyond sick! Lilly had never hurt anyone and had felt herself growing furious she had this sudden urge to go out there and ram her wand down the throat of everyone who even looked like they might be up to no good. A rather funny thought considering her one-time best friends had the same motto of swearing they were up to no good and took great delight in sneaking out of the school grounds every now and again. But after tonight she just wanted to curl up and protect Harry and her baby at any cost. Even if it meant killing someone and the hell with the promise she made her mother. This man, this _monster_ and whoever followed him were a detriment to all humanity and had to be stopped right away as soon as it could with as little mercy as he showed his victims.

Her thoughts were broken when the child in her belly kicked mercilessly at her insides and she rubbed her baby gently trying to settle them down as they reacted to their father's touch and the sound of his sobbing terrified voice. Being a doctor at a hospital and working in pediatrics she knew this child was a strong one, healthy at three months to be kicking with such a genuine ferocity to remind his (or her) weeping, kneeling father of his/her presence in the room. She wanted to ease the lines of stress from his face, relax him and lay him down to sleep; although she was sure his slumber would be no more peaceful than were he laying in the middle of platform 9 3/4 as the train arrived. She could only imagine the noise his own heart must be making in his ears was just as loud if not even louder than the thundering wheels of the steaming locomotive as it pulled into port and while she had caught a couple hours sleep before he had woken her to go talk to Dumbledore he hadn't slept since eleven the previous night, and it was now half passed midnight. She made a mental note to acquire the ingredients for a sleeping potion later on that night and make sure it was one for dreamless sleep so nothing woke him up in the night.

Little Harry on the other hand, was now snoring much like his mother did and comfy in Albus' lap and Dumbledore for his part seemed to be quite content to allow the baby to sleep on him and ignore his parents entirely. He looked over at Severus and smiled at he poor man before going to his desk; from which he pulled out what appeared to be a golden set of scales for weighing potions ingredients. He set them on the table with his free hand and bounced the tot with the other as he turned to the little elf at his side with a kind smile. Elvira, the little green-eyed house-elf who attended the old man in his menial, none-work-related tasks loved children and was looking longingly at the child in her master's arms. The look being replaced with one of joy as she was handed the sleeping infant who she held close and made happy baby sounds at. He then turned to the couple holding one another and went to Lilly kneeling down before her and asking with a silent raising of his hands if he could feel her stomach.

Normally Lilly would have felt strange about this, the man was not biologically her father but knowing the relationship that Severus and Albus had she allowed it and Severus assumed it was like having a father-in-law feel his grand baby and he obliged him. bringing forth a radiant smile from the old man and a hug. He felt her stomach and then, tears came to his eyes as he looked at the child he had raised from age eleven. He knew Lilly would never call him father but he and Minerva McGonagall had raised the little girl ever since she had come to Hogwarts, because her parents -as much as they loved her- simply could not handle a witch of Lilly's increasingly insatiable appetite for magic had given guardianship of their youngest daughter to the headmaster and his wife. Minerva had loved her at once and Albus, although he married his old friend out of convenience so that the baron woman could adopt, had enjoyed nothing more than raising a little girl and seeing that bond that she and his old friend had created. Minerva, so proud and severe with a permanent sternness to her eyes and a rigidness to her countenance was the last witch on earth anyone would have considered to be sweet or maternal but where Lilly was concerned, she was the picture of motherly affection.

She adored having Lilly bringing her mother's day cards, Lilly asking her to do her hair, Lilly oversleeping on weekends and having to be woken with an aquamenti spell which she responded to by playfully tossing a pillow at her and pretending to hide under the covers with her stuffed cat. There were days when Lilly would have colds or flues or some sort of muggle ailment that could have easily been cured with a quick potion or a flick of the wand. But Lilly had for some reason liked being sick, probably because like most children she enjoyed being spoiled and being sick was one of those times when Albus and Minerva had given her whatever she wanted. More so Minerva, Albus had often found his wife curled up in bed with her as a silver tabby cat purring away while she slept and sometimes in her sleep she would lose control of her form and turn back into a human, a peaceful smile on her lips and her face in Lilly's red hair. It was almost as if she had born the child and was sleeping in her bed while her husband watched over them and sometimes, Albus would sit and watch them while they slept.

In fact, Minerva would have loved to change her name to McGonagall or Dumbledore and keep her to herself but Albus had insisted she keep in touch with her muggle parents at least five times out of the year. She had even called Minerva mummy at one point and the name had just stuck, in truth even though she kept the name Evans till she married her husband Albus had become Daddy Dumbledore and his wife had become Mummy McGonagall to her. They had raised her, apart from the two weeks every summer when she had gone home to her family to reconnect only to come back to their house sad and melancholy because her sister had been cruel and said nasty things to her again about being a witch. In fact, Lilly had at the age of fifteen refused to go back to her muggle family because she believed in that typical teenage way that they did not understand and or get her in the slightest. Despite Minerva's gentle but firm reassurances that her family would eventually come around Lilly had cried and curled up in her guardian's arms telling her how cruel Petunia was to her and how her parents never did anything about it

And she had not come back ever since, the last time she had spoken to or seen her muggle parents was at her wedding to Severus two years ago an event which hadn't been at all pleasant for the Evans' who, despite their initial pride and fascination at having a wizarding child had long since seen the fascination wear off and the novelty run thin. They had always regretted allowing Albus and her to take their youngest daughter and what was worse, resented the bond that Minerva in particular had with the young woman. For although Lilly had tried to include Mrs. Evans in the wedding planning and process it had been not her blood-relatives but her adopted parents- mother in particular- who she had called upon to help her select a dress, flowers and all the other things that women had to set in place before embarking on a new life with the man they loved. where they had been sour-faced and grumpy about not only the fact that he and Minerva were in attendance but that Lilly wanted Albus to give her away and not Mr. Evans, despite feeling sorry for the man he had not denied his ward and done as she asked, much to her father's anger.

Mr. Evans believed -with good reason- that he had been replaced and in affect he had been but that was no ones fault; he had not understood his daughter and therefor had no idea who she was. He had not made that much of an effort to find out about her either, sure there was an occasional birthday card or Christmas card but nothing really deep or meaningful and all the pictures Lilly had on hand were of her guardians, her first dress, her first quidditch match, her first broom, reading with McGonagall sleeping with Albus and Minerva when she had a bad dream, her room with her favorite Irish team and pictures of her and Snape and her and Potter at school dances and playdates and things of that sort. But not a word from the Evans who pretty much ignored their daughter less it was time for one of five yearly visits which did not include Easter and Christmas because Lilly wanted to stay in the magical world where she was a superstar, rather than return to the muggle world where she was some sort of freak.

Nevertheless as the biological father he believed it was his god-given right to walk her down the isle and he was right but it was also Lilly's wedding and Albus had believed he had better give her what she wanted, The resentment this sprouted and the fact that she was marrying that peculiar boy from down the street rather than a nice normal young man with 'proper English manors' was enough to push her over the edge and they -her biological parents- had begun to act just like Petunia , calling her 'freak' and 'the girl' rather than Lilly and even objecting at the wedding. Well not so much objecting as walking out of the room and shouting all the while about how ashamed they were that their precious little Tuney had such a girl for a sister, causing Lilly to cry all her makeup off before the vows and have to drink a happiness potion before the ceremony could proceed. As such, the Evans had no knowledge that they had a grandson and had not spoken to Lilly since then, her sisters wedding was fast approaching and she had not been invited to the wedding and now she was having her second child and they still had no idea.

Well now Albus wished more than ever that he was not 'Daddy Dumbledore' but just 'Daddy' to her and that he had allowed Minerva to adopt the girl when he had the chance, but he felt so selfish feeling that way as though he had no right to ask her for that. He had mentored Snape, he had loved Lilly and he had tasted that family life he had always wanted and he would have to content himself with that but as he felt the baby kick he wanted to be called grandfather for his own selfish reasons. Elvira was still holding Harry and now the child was awake and squealing with delight, as he reached his tiny hands up to pull at the creatures huge flappy ears and tug gently. Lilly smiled and what she said next made the old man's heart swell to near bursting and he cried, he openly cried. As she took the baby from the elf's arms she held him on her knee facing Albus so that her green eyes met his and she whispered to the baby.

"Yes, that's your grandpa Harry, say hi grandpa!" and she smiled at her guardian whose eyes were shiny with tears.

Severus smiled and nodded to Albus telling him without words what Lilly intended to do, of course it would take a couple months for the paperwork to be finalized but on her birth-certificate it would now read, 'Liliana Sunshine Dumbledore Snape' and all it required was the signatures of her legal guardians which she was more than certain she would get. Albus put his arms around her tightly and turned to Elvira telling her to fetch Professor McGonagall at once. The little elf scurried off bringing a sleepy, and thoroughly disgruntled Minerva upstairs in her nightdress- which much to Lilly's amusement was a frilly shade of bubblegum fuchsia and smattered with lace of the same shade. The bunny slippers she was wearing on her old arthritic feet looked as cozy and comfy as anything and Lilly longed to crawl inside them and go back to sleep. Sweet Merlin she was tired! With all the excitement of the day she had forgotten how truly exhausted she was but it all hit her in one horrible punch to the chest knocking the wind out of her, and when Professor McGonagall looked at her she wanted to run to her arms.

"What is it Albus, why is Liliana out of bed and with her baby no less?" she grumped sleepily.

"I want you to be my mum and dad," Lilly replied getting straight to the point.

Minerva's eyes widened, and a pearly tear appeared in each one of her eyes, "Of course, but it is not possible you are of age."

Dumbledore smiled and patted her shoulder saying, "Cornelius Fudge owes me a favor or two I am sure he could make an exception." then turning to Elvira he said gently, "do fetch the minister for me would you Elvie?"

"Yes Master anything for Master, Master is so good to Elvie..." she squeaked and vanished with a loud pop.

In no less than five minutes coming up the hall was Cornelius J. Fudge, the minister of magic, beaming like a peacock and looking ready to outright crow at any moment. His long thick handlebar mustache was curled and his cheeks were rosy with glee. Severus' eyes narrowed, he had no notion what the man was so happy about but never one to like the government whereas Lilly was now was curled up in McGonagall's arms looking every bit as a child as the baby boy on her lap while she burrowed close and fell asleep. Cornelius took no notice of her snoring but instead walked in and with a nod, acknowledged Minerva who was kissing Lilly on the head intermittently between whispers of, 'pleasant dreams', and 'that's it Lilly, rest your eyes' while Dumbledore stood to greet the politician with a smile and a clap on the back and a light squeeze of the shoulder.

"Can you BELIEVE it Albus!" chattered the man excitedly, "You-know-who, gone! Just like that Albus! Poof and that's it!"

"Yes Cornelius we have Lilly, Severus and the baby to thank for that..." Albus told him gravely, gesturing to the sleeping mother and child.

Fudge's eyes widened, "the baby, but how!"

Severus then relayed the whole story, every detail from the moment the Death-Eater's arrived to the battle when he had come in to the last moment when he had attacked the baby and the horrible flash of green light and the way that Lord Voldemort had shuddered and collapsed and then just seemed to evaporate into a cloud of black dust. Cornelius' eyes darted back and forth like a set of muggle ping-pong balls between the pair asleep in Minerva's arms to Severus to Dumbledore back to Severus back to Dumbledore. He hung onto every word, seemed to swallow it the way a dying man thirsted for water, not letting a single drop run passed his lips. He even punctuated his attention by slamming his fist on the table, one too many times in fact and thus woke the baby and the poor mother. Harry began bawling and Lilly rubbed her eyes sleepily noticing much to her embarrassment that there was now a small puddle of drool leaking down the front of Professor McGonagall's nightdress.

"Sorry," Lilly mumbled sleepily, but Minerva only shook her head and wiped the dribble from her chin with a pocket handkerchief.

Fudge incorrectly assumed that she was saying sorry to him for sleeping during his visit, "Think nothing of it my dear, I'm sure you have had a very long day." he chortled good naturedly, "If there is anything I can do to repay you and your family for this great service..."

"There is actually." Lilly said obligingly.

"Anything you like!" the little man chirped enthusiastically.

"As you know," Albus said, "Minerva and I practically raised Lilly from age eleven..."

"Yes, yes I remember," Fudge replied blandly, "go on."

"I want to change my name on my birth-certificate to Liliana Dumbledore, so that I am actually their daughter."

"An over-age adoption, highly unorthodox, highly unorthodox." he mused.

"But it is doable?" Lilly pressed on.

"I suppose it is," Fudge conceded. "But it is highly irregular."

"I want my son to have grandparents, grandparents that can understand him and help him cope with whatever repercussions are coming with what happened tonight." she pleaded.

Fudge looked at Harry and seemed to soften, "Yes quite doable."' He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden quill which he sat before a blank sheet of parchment, he barked at the quill, "Liliana Evans birth certificate.

With a cracking sound the words appeared in front of them and Fudge dipped the quill into an inkwell he scratched out the name Evans on the birth-certificate and the names of her parents. Lilly felt a pang of guilt as William and Daisy Evans were erased from the birth certificate and she was handed the pen where she wrote her name in gilded ink. Albus was next, he took the pen, and wrote his name where father should have been and then Minerva did the same. the letters of their names burned into the parchment forever and legally binding in either world, Lilly had left her muggle world behind and become someone new. Lilly had left any remnant of her muggle life behind and despite her initial pang of guilt she felt in that moment, when Minerva -no- her mother put her arms around her in a celebratory hug and Albus -daddy- put his whiskery lips to her forehead.

Fudge a privately sentimental man smiled and wiped a tear from his cheek before clearing his throat saying, "Quite right then," and picking up the mugs of coffee said, "A toast then to the happy family! And to Harry Snape, the boy who lived!"


	5. Family Bonding

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter five**

 _Family Bonding_

Long after Fudge left the school the five of them, Lilly, Severus, Harry and the Dumbledores sat discussing things as they now were; Severus and Albus talked about work and Lilly was curled up close to Minerva, who was dozing sleepily as she lectured little Harry playfully on how very rude it was to throw a curse back at someone. Harry meanwhile was cooing and giggling as he blowed bubbles with his spit and popped them between his lips much to the annoyance of his new-found grandmother who then began a rant about what ungentlemanly conduct that was and how no grandson of hers adopted or otherwise would be behaving in such a manner. Harry ignored her as a bout of intestinal wind hit him, which he broke with a rather obnoxious belch and then settled down to sleep in his mother's arms, only to be taken by his grandmother, have his nose tweaked and given another affectionate chiding that he was not allowed to be this cute for no reason at all.

it was simply outlawed she told him and tweaked his nose causing him to giggle and his mother to play along saying he was a naughty naughty boy. The scene was so happy that if one had not known the reason for her being at Hogwarts one would have assumed her life was perfect and this was little more than a little family reunion. But the scar on the little boy's head and the bloodshot eyes of both his parents told the real story; a terrified young mother and her husband had been attacked by a monster in the darkness of the night and were now homeless and depending on her parents for shelter and the child would be marked forever as the boy who lived, a celebrity before he could even speak. Lilly shuddered to think that her son would have such a burden placed on him so young and what it might do to him and her unborn baby as the younger sibling of such a famed and -apparently- powerful wizard. Lilly had no idea how the spell had bounced off him, and although she was very thankful for this it was definitely one of those things that was going to keep her up at night of that she was certain.

The who, what, why and how of this situation was buzzing around in her head and the answers were elusive and making her exhausted mind feel all the more fatigued as she sat there, thinking, just thinking. Thinking about this only served to give the woman more questions that she could not possibly answer even if she were the great Merlin himself. Would her younger child be able to handle such a famous brother? Would little Harry be able to be a normal child and grow up in his world without people mobbing him every five minutes for want of knowing how a mere baby defeated the most evil man since well...the devil himself and would his younger sibling have the emotional maturity to be able to support him. Also what would she tell Harry when they all began worshipping him and then the crazies came out and bothered them in the middle of the night. Lilly's head began to ache abominably and she must've groaned aloud for Minerva put her arms around her tightly and kissed her sore temples cradling her as if she wanted her to go back to sleep.

How badly Lilly wanted to rest her new mother had no idea but her mind was in hyperdrive and just would not let her rest no matter how sleepy she was. Her nerves so raw that she shook from head to foot and she felt nauseous to the point of where it seemed her actual stomach was going to come out of her mouth. How she envied her sleeping son the ease with which he could forget the night's events and let sleep take him away from it all. She huddled into her mother's arms seeing the birth certificate on the headmaster's desk seemed to be as calming as if she had been hit with a sedative. Simply knowing that her new parents were there and were okay with the idea that she did not know all the answers was as comforting as anything and the ease of which they seemed to be interacting with Harry just made her feel more secure in the decision she made to become their child and not carry on her family name. She was sure the Evanses would blame her for the situation she was in, saying something about if she had married a normal man then she would not be in this situation.

Never mind that she had almost been killed in the middle of the godforsaken night. The way William and Daisy would see it she had done it to herself for associating with _that_ sort of person. They had never expected that allowing her to attend that boarding school would mean that their sweet little Lilly-flower would turn out to be one of them. Sure, they had always encouraged individuality to a point but this was going too far, it was fun at first but magic is for the birthday parties of small children. They had never thought that she would be inclined to marry one of these freaks and then broadcast it to the world. If she could only be more like Petunia, dear perfect normal, wholesome English rose Petunia. With her blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfectly perfect normal job as a secretary to her fiance Vernon Dursley who was a good upstanding gentleman who made a good living.

Normal, proper, Englishmen and women who were not up to any sort of funny business and were a credit to their mothers and fathers alike. Not like Lilly, whose husband did not even have the common decency to get down on one knee for a proposal and took her flying on a ruddy broomstick arranging shooting stars to spell it out. Not even having the common sense to ask her father for her hand was bad enough but not even the good manners to get down on one knee was just an entirely different matter. Brooms were cleaning instruments not airplanes and they were not meant to fly. The thought of the way Tuney had turned out was really no surprise to Lilly as she had been always and still is just like her parents. Magic was all very well and good when she was eleven, twelve, or even thirteen but anything older than that was just silliness that needed a stopping as quickly as possible.

Magic was abnormal a damn-sure sign of softness in the head and the knowledge that they had a witch in the family had rapidly gone from a source of pride to one of embarrassment for the straight-laced businessman his wife and their daughter. Who chose more often than not to ignore Lilly whenever possible. They didn't seem to care about how she was doing in school or the new spells she had learned. They never outright said it of course. too cowardly to admit even to themselves their image of a perfect family to the outside world was a sham. But had become increasingly cruel to the child as she had grown, even at 15, giving away her bedroom to her older sister and locking Lilly in the cupboard under the stairs. That was the last time in her childhood that she had seen her old home, refusing to return there after telling her guardians what went on there and enduring several hours of her new mother's ranting about the mistreatment of the child they had agreed wholeheartedly that she must stay with them full time.

And now she was here with her guardians, now her parents who were here holding her, comforting her, loving on her baby boy and making sure they were all right. What was even more amazing was the ease with which it had been done; a flick of the ministers quill and just like that Lilliana Evans became Lilliana Dumbledore; she now had a mother and father who understood the world she had come to call her own. The world her children would grow up in. But beyond that the joy in her new mother's face was enough to let her know that she had made the right choice in deciding to leave everything behind. She expected to feet some sort of guilt or loss over it initially but she didn't, there was nothing for her in the muggle world anymore, her parents had long ceased to speak to her and her sister had always been a bit of a bully to her. Almost cruel to the point of torturing her, doing everything she could to make her life a living hell, any friends she had in that world were long lost to her because of how much time she had spent with her guardians and or at school.

Lilly would have liked to think that Petunia would feel sad over her loss of a sister, but the last time she had spoken to her had been enough to tell Lilly otherwise. She had called her strange and abnormal and told her point-blank that she was nothing more than a freak and her son would be just as strange, just as abnormal. Lilly had remembered that being the last time she had cried over her old family ties as she realized that Petunia would be happy to hear that she was gone for good. Lilly had curled up in Severus' arms and cried while he told her that he loved her and even invited James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin over for a visit. They had spent the day telling her how handsome Harry was and what a lady killer he was going to be someday.

They didn't have any kids yet, and were all uncles to her son and aunts along with it. Lilly had never been happier to see them in her life after the bitter words by her only blood sibling and their wives had hugged her and told her that she had four sets of siblings three brothers and three sisters and never mind what that muggle ijit thought of her. She was just jealous which Lilly knew of course, but if only her good friends and family only knew how jealous _Lilly_ was of her sister and the normalcy she enjoyed.

Lilly knew now that it was merely a case of the grass being always greener on the other end just like her friends had told her, that Petunia was bitter because she had wanted to go to Hogwarts very badly but she was a no-maj muggle as they say in America. Just an ordinary, frumpy English Biddy. One, Severus pointed out, who was not even pretty to begin with and had more than Lilly's magical abilities to be jealous of. Because while Lilly had crimson hair and emerald eyes to make an evergreen look pale in comparison, her sister was pinched and overly pink with a neck like a giraffe and a puss on her like a pound of tripe. When James had asked Severus how he knew this Sev had smiled and sat the group down taking Lilly's hand in his and smiling as she laid on his shoulder and she looked at James with an apologetic smile as he watched the quiet show of affection between the woman he was sure would be his and the rival she had chosen over him.

She remembered Sev saying, "I used to live down the street from them." and a chorus of awws coming from the women and a surprised look from both James and Sirius who did not know much about the boy they used to torment other than the fact that he was poorer and smaller than them.

"What really?" James asked looking at Lilly for confirmation.

"Yes," she said, "He told me all about Magic and what I am before I knew...I thought there was something wrong with me."

"Was it love at first sight?" asked Sirius' wife in her shy voice.

The next thing made the group of friends look at one another in amused shock and a little surprise. Lilly laughed and said, "No, love at first sight doesn't exist."

To which Snape replied, "Speak for yourself!" before saying, "It was for _me_ , maybe not for _her_."

The three of them and their wives blinked in surprise that the former death-eater would be one to admit having a love at first sight meeting with her right in front of three schoolmates who were notorious for tormenting him. But Lilly had only smiled at her husband and friends and stroked little Harry's messy hair down with her palm. Glad that her husband and her friends had made peace with one another over the years and had now become the family she always thought she was lacking in her old war. What was better was that now that there was no rivalry for her affections and James had accepted that they were now, and always would be her best friends, he had come to respect Severus as the man he was. He had even attended their wedding, him his wife and the other three had all found their perfect matches in the halls of the school and no animosity remained. While the marauders and her husband couldn't really be called 'friends' she could at least give them that they were trying for her sake.

"I knew when I met her that she was special to me, of course we were only seven at the time... but she was my first friend, my first love, my first everything." he said and Lilly kissed him causing another chorus of awws to come from the three women in the room.

"Well can't compete with that!" James said and smiled at them.

The fact that James and Sev had finally ceased to bicker after all these years was something for which she was very grateful because she had also made friends with the wives of the three men. Her closest being Nymphadora Tonks now Lupin, a cousin of Sirius' who was as bright and bubbly as anything. James had married Francis Meriwether, a fellow Gryffindor and the darling of their class; everyone loved her and she was the Golden Girl of the lion house. She was just the sort of girl that it was impossible to hate, even when she was feuding with Lilly over James' affections she had been sweet and nice to her although jealous of her and James relationship over two years; and not to mention wasting no time at all snapping up the handsome wizard once Lilly had decided who her heart belonged to. She had to admit the Potters were a beautiful couple and seemed very much in love, the kind of mushy gooey love that was put on public display for the entire world to see. Sirius was the last to marry, a Slytherin girl names Poncy Machenell who was a delicate wilting blossom of a thing, the shy sort of damsel in distress that would go for a man like Sirius who had the biggest hero complex she had ever seen.

But still family was family and she was sure that one of them would offer her and Severus a home in their hour of need, especially now that she was pregnant and their home had been burned to the ground. Still, it seemed a shame to leave her new parents tonight when they had just been named so. Her father -conversing with her husband- yawned mightily and rubbed his sore eyes. She imagined with the Dark Lord on the rampage like this that he had gotten so little sleep over the past many nights and she stood up, causing her baby to kick strongly in her belly from not wanting her to move. The baby had spoken, she found the chair Fudge had sat in and stumbled tiredly into it with a soft thudding clatter causing Severus to turn his head and reach into his pocket pulling out a vial of skyblue liquid that she recognized as a mild sleeping draft.

Lilly knew her husband to be a dreadful insomniac, having bouts of wakefulness that sometimes lasted for days and knew he always kept a dose of sleep-syrup in his robe pocket and smiled gratefully at him as he pushed the bottle to her lips, allowing a single mouthful of the stuff to go down her throat. Making sure to leave enough for the other three adults if they needed it, But Severus shook his head and pushed the bottle on her till she swallowed the whole thing down in a few noisy gulps. The effects were fast and strong, her eyes were drooping and the vision she swirling in a medley of blues as a curious warming sensation seeped through her bones. She hated it, having never used a sleep potion before and struggled to fight it off as her father's eyes twinkled and he motioned to the golden scales he had taken out of his desk earlier and gently cut a strand of Lilly's hair from her head as well as Severus.

This startled the drowsing woman and she blinked, "Mmmm what?" she groaned.

"This is a Pregomitor, it will tell me the gender of your baby," he told her and Lilly smiled nodding.

She had seen those things in St. Mungo's in the maternity ward for the young witches who wanted to know the gender of their children. Wizarding medicine was truly remarkable having now been able to tell the gender a whole month before the end of the first trimester. All that was required was a sample of both parents DNA and then it was all set and off to the races, why Dumbledore had one Lilly handn't the faintest idea but she was too groggy to care much at the moment and was more concerned with remaining awake long enough to hear the gender of her child before the medicine kicked in and sent her to sleep entirely. Albus placed the pregomitor on Lilly's belly and she watched it quiver and jolt a little bit, depending on which scale lifted higher the side with the mother or the father's DNA would tell them the gender of the baby. The two bowls of the pregometer had a small cursive M and F on it to determine whose DNA sample went in which side.

"I borrowed this one from Madame Pomfrey," he told them, "No reason really other than I find these things to be very fascinating and was wondering if it worked on birds."

"Birds?" Snape repeated with a cock of his black eyebrow.

"Yes, I am trying to breed Fawkes and wanted to know the gender of his chicks, sadly it only works on humans." he chuckled.

"I should think so!" Lilly laughed at her father before a yawn took over her again.

"How does it work?" Severus asked.

Albus went on to explain that if the M side lifted then it was a girl, and if the F side lifted it was a boy, Lilly watched groggily as it quivered and the slowly, ever so slowly the M scale lifted higher and higher till it pinged like a bell and Lilly felt tears coming at last. But these were not tears of sorrow or fright, these were tears of joy at the knowledge that in seven months she was going to have a daughter of her own. She smiled at Severus whose eyes seemed overcome with emotion and he placed his hand on her belly, feeling his daughter and a sudden surge of overwhelming love and protectiveness for his wife and his daughter as well as the baby sleeping in Minerva's arms. He had everything he wanted in the world, the woman he had put the baby always loved and now a family of his own. He imagined already what he wanted his little girl to be; she would look like her mother of course red hair and maybe his pale complexion to make her look like a porcelain doll. He was already picturing the way she would fit into his arms the way she would grow up to go to Hogwarts just like Harry would.

The vision definitely made him smile and he could only thank merlin that right now he was not a death-eater and had made it out just fine. Severus' thoughts were broken when he heard a sharp nasal snort come from his sleeping wife who had finally given into the potions effects and began to snore like a hibernating troll. Minerva chuckled and closed her wide-open mouth and wipe the drool from her chin causing her to moan and settle into the chair more comfortably, nuzzling the leather seat with her cheek and a small smile curving her lips as another harsh snore alerted the room to the fact that she was now sound asleep. Severus leaned down and kissed her head before putting his cloak over her sleeping body causing Albus to smile.

"Get some sleep Severus, it's late." Albus told him.

But the potions master could only shake his head and watch as his employer lifted his daughter and carried her to the professor's wing of the school where he laid her down in a massive four-poster bed where she rolled over, Severus put the baby in the faux manger belonging to the Hogwarts nativity scene which was being stored in this room till Filch cleaned out one of the storage closets. Severus placed the baby in it because it was baby shaped and cradle-sized and he did not want his son sleeping in a dresser drawer. He then turned to Minerva and nodded as she turned to a cat with a loud pop before quitting the room and heading downstairs with his father-in-law sat him down in his common room and poured him a strong fire-whiskey.

"Something the matter Severus?" he asked.

"Everything my home was destroyed my wife is pregnant and I do not know what to do." he groaned.

Albus sighed, he knew the man had every right to be stressed out but he also knew that Severus was not a pour man, he was the only living heir to the massive Prince fortune and had his mother's vast estate to go home to if he wished. Eileen had possessed enough sense to leave her son the entire fortune after she had divorced Toby Snape and moved to a small flat in the heart of wizarding London having no use for a massive family home and lacking the courage to say it to her son that she had been blinded by love and nothing else and how sorry she was that she had allowed him to hurt her. He reached into his pocket pulling out a match he sprinkled the dead embers into the fire where they popped and smoked into a crackling blaze.

Dumbledore whispered, " _Converso infurnum,"_ and then to Snape's horror he said firmly, "Eileen Meredith Prince."

"Albus what the bloody?" he snapped but the old man merely smiled at him.

"Your mother will want to know her only son is all right." he stated firmly.

Snape had an urge to scream at the man that his mother was the very last person on earth he wanted to speak to at a time like this but he didn't have the time for within minutes a face began to form in the ashes. Long curly dark hair, black eyes and a long nose.

"Hello mother.."

 **Yes I monkeyed with the timeline a bit but it just works better that way sorry if it bothers anyone**


	6. Family Secrets

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter six**

 _Family Secrets_

Eileen was gazing at the exhausted face of her son; her favorite son who she had not seen for years not since he had married some mudblood much to her disgust. She learned years ago not to trust anyone who wasn't a pure blood as his birth father Thomas was a half-blooded monster and her own husband, the man she had made the mistake of choosing to play father to her son was a muggle scumbag who abused them daily. But to see him standing there with a weariness on his face which was hitherto unseen broke her heart and she wished she could go to him, hold him close and tell him that it was ok. But she knew he would not accept that from her, she wished she had more than one son, at least still with her and she had not given his older brother to his father. It was a decision she had always regretted, even moreso was the lie she had told Tobias Snape about the affair she had with the father of her first son.

Not that she had ever loved Toby, the old drunken git. But it was her son, her second and youngest son; her baby who had paid the price for her emotional attachment to another man. Every scar on him was for her, every memory of pain he had from his stepfather's hands was her fault, her lies had taken everything. His name, his childhood and his brother. Her and his father were the only two that knew, her older son had no idea and Severus knew nothing but the sight of him so tired and bruised made her want to cry. If flames could have showed her tears then she would have wept for him, but the crackling blaze dried any moisture on her face. Something for which she was very thankful, because as cold and severe as Severus was he was a complete mother's boy and hated when she was upset; to see her cry would only distress him further.

She felt sick looking at his tired face in those mandarin colored flames; she saw the violet undersides of his eyes the drawn pinched expression on his face and the tracks of tears dried all over his face. Eileen had only seen that look on his face a couple times in his life; on the rare occasions he had seen her husband beating her and when his wedding was ruined by his stepfather's drunken tirades and face planting in the punchbowl. Either way, she did not like it and wanted to hug him tightly and make some soup the way she had when he was a baby. She had been asleep in her bed beside her husband dreaming of...well she did not really know what she had been dreaming of by that point because she was in that deep blissful sleep, the kind where all the dreams were blending together and the only sound she had expected to hear was the distant rumble of her husband snoring in the bed beside her.

Other than that her dreams were blurry colors and sounds that if one asked her what they were she would be unable to tell you as if she were under a stupefy hex but that mattered little. The point was that she had been sleeping when the burning sensation of flames began licking and lapping at her skin waking her and causing her to run to the washroom and splashed icy water all over her face to no avail. The smarting kept up till she was forced to wake her husband who had looked at her with concerned silver eyes and stroked her face leading her to the fireplace he spoke in a deep commanding voice that bespoke power as he told her that someone was using the converso infernum charm and that she had better go light the fire and stick her head in the ashes. She did as he ordered and she in seconds she was looking at her son and she knew the time had come. The time to tell her son the truth about his father, the father of her first...and second son.

Abraxas Dragonious Malfoy, father of both her sons, true love of her life who had been taken from her by the cursed wizarding marriage law. She had been forced to marry Tobias, and carry on the affairs of her heart; he had accepted that she had given up one child but could not accept the second no one would. No husband with any self-respect would accept a second child fathered outside of the confines and sanctity of her marriage. So she had lied and told him that the Dark Lord had raped her; which had caused him to rage with all the righteous indignation that a husband should have. He had called Scotland Yard and demanded (to no avail of course) that this Thomas Riddle whomever he was be brought to justice immediately. Of course the muggle police did nothing because well they couldn't; muggle law held little effect on those criminals in the wizarding world what with memory charms and such. But still she had thought it was a sweet gesture, despite the lie behind it and had even felt that Toby had felt some tenderness toward him, some emotion not love but some depth of tenderness that he seemed to actually want her safety.

However his caring for her was cheapened by guilt, because she was lying and in love with another man whose wife was barren and half-seized over with fire whiskey and didn't care what her husband did as long as it didn't involve her. She had been forced to raise the first boy and Eileen had been told she treated him very well (for which she was grateful) but it still hurt her to think of her son being raised by another woman calling another woman mother at night and wondering why she was well drunk all the time and sometimes ignored him. When his real mother loved and pined for her silver haired adonis of a son and the man she really loved. That and the fact that she -at the time- had not seen either one of them for six years at the time and her son was six when she had fell pregnant by the widowed man she loved. He was passed his 7th birthday Severus was born and had fallen victim to the dark lord's seduction the same way her younger one had.

In some ways, this was a blessing in disguise, for the brothers had met through this and became fast friends as though they had know each other all their lives but then again they were doing things that would make the devil cringe. Neither knew the other was the younger/elder sibling of the other, for she had promised Abraxas that his wife would never know about Severus and that she, in her fear of that wretched muggle husband of hers could not allow him to know that she had cheated on him. Toby was and always had been a violent and ill-tempered sort of man who was not afraid to put his hands on her if the humor struck had wanted to petition the courts to have them married, a proper marriage where she could be with him and her son; but as tempted as she had been over the eight years she had miscarried three of the old drunkard's children. A singular failure in her eyes and at that point she was more concerned with her honor than with her happiness; honor to a Prince was everything and Eileen was determined to hide the affair from the world.

It had only been one night; she had longed to see her son, but the boy had no idea who she was and if she had to hand over a second child she would have lost her mind. There was only so much a woman could take and to be in love and lose her paramore; to be a mother and have to relinquish her firstborn to the arms of another woman just so the man she loved would be able to give him a better life than the one the ministry had driven her to it was just too much for her. She had seen photos of Lucius, the boy she had left behind for Ab was not a cruel man and his heart longed for her to see the child they had together. And oh how her heart broke as every year went on and her blonde dragon prince of a boy grew to look more and more like his father every day. She met him once, and found to her horror that Abraxas had told him who she was, it was when Delphina Malfoy, the woman he had called mother had died of the TB which plagued the people of Europe for so many a century.

Eileen had only meant to see her son, had not meant to let that old flame which still burned in the back of her heart for six years then flare up again but when her son had begged his mother to spend the night with him she had leapt at the chance to be his mother even if it was only for one night. She knew Toby was off with one of his waterfront floozies, he wasn't sleeping with them no he was working them for a few quid. Truly he was the sort of drunken alcoholic that no muggle mother would want their daughter to be attracted to; a flirtatious boozer with the charm who could be as sweet as anything and as nasty as anything as well. He wasn't a bad man to her, not really, sure he beat her now and again when the drink had a hold of him; but she blamed herself for this. For deep down it was her fault, her and her guilty lovelorn heart, a heart that would eventually betray her; not once but twice in the masterbed of Serpentine Court where all the pain and torture she had endured at the hands of Tobias both mental and physical melted away.

Lost in Abraxas' gentle strong arms, silver hair and melting blue eyes she had felt something she had not felt in years; Eileen Prince felt loved. For that one night she had laid down and been a woman in love with the father of her son; who she had tucked in and kissed goodnight. Told she loved him and hugged her six year old to sleep before having a nighttime cup of tea with the father and then so to bed. Twice now she had made love to this man as she raged and sobbed over the unfairness of it all and he kissed the stinging purple-green bruise on her cheek which had just barely begun to heal. Eileen had only meant to vent to him, cry a little bit, maybe lean on him for comfort but the hand that held her shoulder was just so comforting. The eyes which gleamed at her made her feel all warm and safe inside and the lips whose voice told her that everything was alright was the perfect combination of ingredients to make her ignore the ring which was too small and pinching her boney finger.

It started the way it always does, with one kiss; and then one lead to another and then another and another and then before she knew it the one kiss turned into just one touch. One touch followed the pattern of the kisses and then the night turned late and she had slept more soundly than she had in six years; and the sun rose above her head in the sky and she woke. In love, embarrassed and ashamed of herself for allowing her emotions to crack that famous Prince resolve that had made her such a good student at Hogwarts and allow her heart to rule her and break her vows when she knew she was not going to be able to stay like this. And she had gotten up in tears, kissed them both goodbye and gone home to her husband; making sure to muss and tease her appearance so as to make her rape story plausible. It was easy enough the rain ruined her hair and clothes, she had passionate bruises all over her neck and breasts and the constant British rain ruined and disheveled her clothes further.

Crying was easy too, all she had to do was think of what she left behind, her son her love one thought of them and the floodgates opened. Massive sobs choked her, reddened her eyes and gave her a mild case of the hiccoughs. She must have done a very, very good job because when she got home even her worthless husband stopped snoring on the sofa and ran to her, acting with sudden tenderness that she had never seen from him. Asking all kinds of questions of her and acting for once like he actually cared where she was the night before and what had happened to her. Eileen knew she was not able to tell him of the liaisons she had last night with the man she truly loved because he just looked so concerned and if she hurt him then he would rightfully forbid her to ever see her son again. Not only that but anger him and it meant a beating for her. Besides she did not know at that time that she had taken pregnant with a second baby so there was -in her mind- no reason to make things worse by speaking on her infidelities.

But the love she had experienced with Mr. Malfoy had naturally made her not want to make love to Toby, not that she ever really did but it made it all the more obvious that the child in her belly was not his. And of course, she could not tell her abusive husband that the baby was her lover's and although she knew Abraxas would not turn his child away she had made a selfish choice. Keep it hidden from the world, for she wanted him so very badly and so she had lied to everyone, lied to her beloved, lied to her husband, blamed a monster for her own shortcomings and kept the child a secret from the father who was rightfully his. Abraxas had not believed her but he had promised to keep the secret when she told him what kind of man her husband was. Abraxas had once been head boy at Hogwarts however and he was not a stupid man and made her promise to call upon him if she ever needed anything.

Her husband however, had insisted that she have an abortion and she had agreed to it, because she just felt like she could not bear to birth a second reminder of the love that had been taken away from her. Alas, at the end of the day she had wanted and adored Severus to the point of madness. A mistake on her part for as the old saying goes however, 'tell a little lie and it grows bigger and bigger till it swallows you whole' and her lie was perfect until one fateful night. The night she discovered it was a second son and her baby boy, another baby boy, that she could not bear to go through with the incision. Pale as his older brother and father but possessing her eyes and hair she had named her son for her own father and to make Toby feel better she had named his middle name for her husband. Something that her husband had demanded because he wanted his own children not someone else's; keeping him was a sin that he had taken out on Severus. Causing bitterness and hatred to spread in her home and the spirit of discontent to fester and ooze like an open dragon pox sore.

But now Tobias was long dead, died of the drink which had pickled his liver and now seemed the time to tell Dumbledore and her son that her grandson had an uncle and another set of grandparents. Pure-blood wizarding grandparents who were very rich and very powerful and now that old Abraxas knew her to be a widow and she had told him the truth that he was a father of two sons he had taken her back. It had taken her awhile to get back into his good graces for he was indeed very hurt that she had kept a son from him all these years. Lucius too was hurt for he knew she was his mother and knew now after all this time that the younger wizard who had risen through the dark lord's ranks so easily was his baby brother and he had missed out on all these years with him. That Severus had married and had a son whose uncle had never seen and a wife his brother had never met.

It had hurt but she had the chance now to be honest, to tell Severus that he was the son of a man who wanted him, that he had a nephew and brother and father who died to make his acquaintance was surely would forgive her and then they could all be happy. The family she had lost due to the wizarding law could be pure and whole- well minus that little snippet of a muggle-born redhead her youngest had fallen in love with as a she looked at him, she wanted to hold him close; comfort the lines of fatigue away from his tired eyes kiss his bruises and hold his baby, she a mother of two sons did feel some some sympathy for his wife. Merlin only knew how terrified the woman actually was at the moment; and to think Severus had actually worked for the man she had told the world was his father, the lies to Albus Dumbledore who had always been kind to her, saying that he was a rape baby when in fact he was nothing more a lovechild of two star crossed lovers who had been torn apart by wizarding society.

She took a deep breath and spoke," Severus my little Lanev..." she began with much more emotion then Severus would have expected of her, "are you alright? Where are you?"

That was a stupid question by the looks of it, of course he wasn't all right and the massive coat of arms with four animals and a golden letter H on it was a dead-giveaway. He looked like he wanted to puke and was going to at any moment. He was abnormally white, sweaty and flushed pink around the cheeks as though he were coming down with the muggle influenza. She stopped him before he could speak and grabbed Abraxas' hand going to her fireplace she tossed a handful of floo powder into the hearth while a grumpy Abraxas Malfoy stumbled into the room with his pinstripe pajamas covered with a beige robe as he scratched the mussed hair saying in a grumpy voice that it was the middle of the goddamn night and where the bloody hell was she going at this time of night. She just looked at him with watery obsidian eyes and smiled, a real genuine smile as she tugged him into the fireplace; and told him they were going to see their son.

"Lucius?" he mumbled sleepily.

"No," she smiled softly, "the other one."

The face in the fire went out with a loud pop and then within minutes the two of them, Eileen and Abraxas were storming into the gates of Hogwarts to be greeted by Albus with a smile and a handshake from Ab. Eileen went right to Severus holding her son so tightly she swore to the day that she heard his back crackle and pop like a firework fizzing out. Eileen noted he smelled of vomit and coffee, a concerning stink but one she did not care to contemplate too much as he stood there in shock at the sight of her and her husband in the room with her although he did not have time to question the two because she threw her arms around Severus and held him to her chest, face hidden in her nightshirt her baby boy -grown man though he was- became just that a baby boy weeping in his mother's arms.

"Mother, " he began, "Lilliana is pregnant..."

Eileen couldn't help it, she smiled, although she had never met Harrison, her grandson as of yet she was happy that her poor lonely son had gotten everything he had ever wanted and now a second child on the way. It was almost enough to make forgive him for marrying that silly redheaded chit of a girl. Almost, but the fact that she was a mudblood was a sore-spot, oh how Eileen hated muggles with a passion, the muggles were the ones who hurt her and her son; taken Abraxas from her all these years and torn her family apart. Three children she had lost to the inferior seed of that no-mag idiot, two of a miscarriage of the body and one that he had beaten out of her in a drunken rage when he had locked Severus in his room for making his toy bird fly, and had broken it making her then four-year-old weep and forbidding her to feed the little freak for a period of three days.

Toby had shoved her down the stairs when he had caught her sneaking him some morsels of food and killed the only baby she had managed to carry to second trimester. She had hated him then more than ever and cursed his filthy muggle parents who brought him into the world when Severus had been strong enough to withstand the beatings his stepfather had given him in the womb to try and force the abortion she refused to have medically. But Wizard seed, pure blood wizarding seed was not something to be killed easily and her son had fought and defeated the monster. But that was just his trouble, her son was always a fighter; because he always had to fight whether he wanted to or not he had no blessed choice. But that was over now and the witch sat him down and framed his face between her two, snowy palms.

"That's what has you so upset?" Eileen asked, puzzled.

Severus choked, "The Dark Lord came...I was on my way home, he went after Lilly and Harry..."

Eileen went white as a sheet and grabbed him by the shoulders, " _Where are they?"_ She asked in a panic.

If her grandson was dead...

"Uh upstairs..." he said surprised that she cared so much.

Eileen flew up all four flights of stairs to the bedroom where Lilly lay roaring like an angry bear and little Harry lay wailing away in his makeshift bed. She let out a sigh of relief so deep that the tightness she did not know she was withholding in her chest and shoulders sagged out of her like a deflated balloon. Eileen picked up her grandson and held him close to her the way she used to hold her son when he fussed as a baby. She sobbed and held him as she sat in the rocker making shushing sounds. She shushed him and kissed him, holding him and crying as she watched her pregnant daughter-by-marriage snore with a giant tabby cat behind her. There was something soothing about the sound of her sleep; it made the other woman heavy-eyed and sleepy. Just as she was about to start snoozing herself the cat beside her transformed into a woman, also sleeping with her arms around her companion as they drooled in sweet oblivion.

Her grandson wailed in her arms and she pressed him into her chest to shush him lest he wake the other occupants in the room she headed downstairs to where three men were waiting for her. One a tearful mess, one a happy if slightly disheveled husband and the other an old man who looked as exhausted as anything. She came to where she had been sitting the child now snoozing in her arms and smiled down at the little bundle of messy black hair and tiny limbs. She summoned a cup of tea to herself and pulled Abraxas over to her and showed him his grandson. He reached down and stroked the child's hair much to Severus' dislike because he did not know this man and really did not like this man touching his baby but his mother speaking cut off his protest.

"Who is that woman with your wife?"She asked pointedly, "she turned from a cat into a woman."

"Her mother, Lilly isn't a mudblood, she's the headmaster's daughter with Professor McGonagall." Snape half-lied.

Eileen felt her disapproval of the young woman rapidly vanishing at the knowledge of the young woman being the headmaster's daughter. It was a point of pride for her to have her younger son married so well to the only child of the greatest defeater of dark wizards in an age. She smiled as she did recall the wedding where they had given her away and said nothing more on the subject as she watched Abraxas holding little Harry and smiling at him as her son glared om at them coming over and snatching up his baby by way of protection.

"Kindly refrain from handing my son to strangers mother." Severus told her as he cuddled the cooing infant.

She looked sad and said, "But he isn't," She then turned to her son saying in a soft voice, "Severus meet Abraxas Malfoy, your father... _your real father."_


	7. The Truth comes Out

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter Seven**

 _The Truth Comes Out_

The room went silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop as if it were a thunderclap before an earthquake, Albus usually so calm and collected let the quill drop from his hand with a resounding click. The only sound in the room was the gentle tick-tock of the huge grandfather clock ticking passed the moments after her shocking admission. Albus felt himself choke on the butterbeer he had been drinking to ward off the unusual chill of the summer night and a caramel-colored spray spattered his dark mahogany desk so as to make it glow and shine as if it had just been polished with a fine wax. The headmaster ignored the mess -although usually a very neat man- in favor of stopping the choking fit to wit he had just then fallen victim to. Time thumped, not ticked, but thumped by as seconds on the clocks went by -slowed down to a crawl- just to a never-ending crawl, like that of worm inching its way ever-so-slowly across the fathomless garden that is mortal time as a cold angry wind seemed to permeate the room and swirl around Eileen.

It was as if a cold rain had entered his veins and drenched her; she felt sick and reached for the cup of tea Albus had poured her when she had arrived on the parlor steps. Up till the moment she had been so preoccupied with the whole family disaster that she had forgotten it and wished it was still hot as tepid tea did nothing for her nerves. Which were becoming more and more raw with every passing moment so much that if they were corporeal she would have felt them chafing against one another. The air was suffocating her and souring in her mouth so bad that her only desire was to spit the taste out of her mouth. But all that would do was make her look unladylike for try as she might there was ridding her mouth of that almost medicated bitterness she could not force herself to swallow. Manners be damned at the moment she reached for a vase and spat twice over to no avail as the breeze came in through the window and the shutters creaked in an almost agonized way.

Long tendrils of cold made her slight form shake all the way to the top of her shoulders as if a dementor had just passed around her body, or perhaps the bloody baron had just passed through her. Her chills were not of fear for she had never had any reason to fear her son; he was a mischievous but good boy as a child. Yes he had done some naughty things at school that she ought to have paddled his backside for. What young man preadolescent or in the throes of his teen years could resist a prank or two? It is just in the nature of schoolboys who spent nine months away from parental guidances to get up to mischief. Heaven knows Lilliana had dated a man who had tortured her son for several years and no one did anything about it because they assumed that boys would be boys. A little bullying between two young men feuding over the same girl was a normal thing dating eons ago. Love was the oldest magic in the book and Severus had fallen victim to it just like the rest of them and just like his mother he was prepared to do anything to get it.

When two knights dueled for the same lady's favor there would be injuries and insults till the Lady herself took it in hand to make the final choice. In her son's case; the Lady had chosen him and he had (till that night) gotten his happily ever after. But for Eileen, love was not a charm but a curse which the government had taken away from her and she hoped that however mad her son may had been at that time he would understand that. he was never cruel to her even as he grew into a bitter young man who had eventually cut off all ties with her much to her pain and chagrin. But he would never harm her not physically however nowhere was the phrase, 'his bark is worse than his bite' more so than with her youngest son whose voice was like a gentle thunderclap, deep and rumbling but never too loud. His voice rang with melodic menace from the moment he had hit puberty, going from her sweet and shy little boy to a gentle but enthralling man as soft-spoken and deep as the rumbling of a thunderclap. Deep and rumbling as it came before the lightning which lit those deep, fathomless eyes; as black and swirling as a star long-gone out.

He had her father's eyes, yes the Prince eyes that she herself had inherited but when he moved in shock she saw pure Abraxas. Yes, he was a Malfoy through and through no matter what his name was on paper, the mannerisms he showed were just like the man who created him. Elegant and sinister in the way of the biblical serpent in the enchanted garden. She watched him as he made no sound but his eyes narrowed and she had never been prouder of him as she gazed at him taking in the sight of her youngest child. He had his father's chiseled jaw and the narrowness of his cheekbones made him look positively statuesque in a gargoylian sort of way which commanded the Prince respect her own father had been given by divine right. From the moment he was born he had been her pride, her baby and no law would ever take away her son.

Her son, her poor son.

The sight of him broke her heart even more than her confession, he looked so sick and pale and she wished someone would say something the silence was killing her; surely Albus would say something anything. But the clock continued to thump along as baby Harry the grandson she had never met wailed in his father's arms. In the silence she could hear Lilly snoring upstairs, the breathing of her son and husband as the headmaster swallowed loudly the third shot of firewhiskey and a sleepy Abraxas yawned in his pinstripe sleeping robes; and scratched his hind-end in a most undignified way that in any other situation would have caused her to laugh. Eileen looked from her husband to her son back to his father-in-law waiting for a reaction and she hoped it would not be a violent one; although she knew her son would never hurt her she had come to fear his rage as he had become a man.

His roar was far worse than the clash of his teeth but that did not make his roar any less intimidating. She knew she had to be careful with her younger son, he was quite the opposite of her exquisite firstborn. Not just in appearance either, whereas Lucius had his father's moonlit hair and icicle-colored eyes, Severus had her sharp pale features; the ones that many said made her look stern and cross. Onyx eyes seemed to glow like the dying starlight in a black hole as a star who had burned for so many years gave a last sputtering attempt to shine in its former brilliance; before it became a black hole who sucked the light greedily from any celestial jewel which happened to cross the bitter spector's path. His eyes were that hole; swirling, angry and cold and fathomless. As deep as any ocean that a muggle diver would be so lost in he would surely drown were he not careful.

Despite the obvious distress he was in Eileen could not quite manage to figure which of his turbulent feelings she ought to deal with first. He was exhausted; he needed to sleep but that was secondary to dealing with his hysteria and the blow she had just dealt him. She had not meant to tell him like this' had thought she might sit him down and have a cup of tea. Perhaps introduce him to his nephew and tell him that he had a brother, be gentle and kind with him and fall on her knees and plead his forgiveness. Eileen imagined he would be angry but that he would settle down and rejoice that he now had a family together. A wife, a child, two parents an older brother and a nephew. A brother who had been his best friend even in the darkest of times and a sweet old man of a father distinguished though he may have been who would welcome him with open arms and half the Malfoy fortune would be his upon their deaths. But more than that he had a family, a whole family and now there was no reason for him to live in Tobias's broken down gnome-hole of a flat which was cramped even for a family of three as they were and young enough to grow.

But instead she had been so eager for Abraxas to be able to hold his grandson that she had blurted it out without thinking and now she had ruined everything. Her son was standing at attention as if he were a soldier, looking every bit the youngest Malfoy boy that he was. Strong, resolute and determined to claim what was rightfully his. The way Abraxas had been when he had heard that Severus was his son. First he had cried, and then he had become so enraged that he had to have several Arctic-Brandies to calm his boiling blood and then he had cried. Drunk to the point of intoxication over the fact that he had lost so many years with Eileen, with the woman he loved and now had a son raised by an abusive muggle who had beaten them both while he and his son -his older son- who would spend a childhood absent a mother lived in a luxurious estate. While his little son had no idea of his bloodlines, no idea of what he was entitled to and all because she did not want that good-for-nothing muggle to beat it out of her again.

But he had forgiven her, and she could only hope her son would too, if only she had not blurted this out then it would be okay...well more okay then it was now. It wasn't like Tobias would ever hurt him again but it was all the lies and all the years of believing he was Lord Voldemort's baby. The lonesome little boy who had joined the darkness of those who would later try to murder his own son while he slept in his bed. All to get the approval of the father he never had in his life due to his mother's selfiness. Her own inability to contest wizarding law and go be with the man she loved. She had lied to everyone, to Albus, to Severus, to Abraxas to herself. But what's done was done and now she was smack-dab in the eye of a storm waiting for the whirling tornado to resume and the spinning and the seconds that ticked back and forth were just agony for her and she had no doubt the universe was giving her some bad karma for being deceitful.

At last Albus spoke in a soft, and disapproving tone, "Eileen what is going on?" he asked the paternal sound in his voice nearly her undoing.

Her obsidian eyes turned almost midnight blue, and she cursed viciously under her breath as she said simply, "It is a long story..."

Severus felt his face growing hot and he knew, he just knew that his face had gone bright red. He huffed because really it was all he could do not to scream at the top of his bloody lungs. All the years of abuse he had suffered at the hands of that muggle bastard. The beatings the torture the being told he was worth nothing all his life and yet this man whose approval he had sought for all those years was not his father but some man who had married his mother for God only knew what reason. Worse than that; she had allowed this man to give him a name he had never asked for and never wanted, his own second name was for his devil when his birth father had done nothing at all to prevent this. It made a million questions appear in his already aching head and he rubbed his temple wearily suddenly wanting nothing more than to go to bed.

He wanted Lilly and to be in bed asleep at his...stepfather's house in his bed with little Harrison chewing on his toy owl as he teethed and slept the night away on his mother's bosom as she nodded off in front of the fire. Humming gently, quietly with her twittering songbird voice which she never used in public but could have had a career with if she was not so shy. He longed to see her just dozing there even longed to hear the snoring for which he always teased his poor wife for keeping him awake all night when he already had the baby to disrupt his sleep patterns. He did not want any of this he had not asked for any of this, all he had been doing was coming home to his flower for the birthday party of his son. Why had this happened? Everything was going so well, he had the world... the woman he loved his baby a home of his own and a fresh start. But now here he was in what should have been one of the most happy times in his life drenched in tears and sweat and the bottom of his world was just ripped out from under him.

Upstairs he could hear the snoring of his wife so deep in her potion induced slumber that she had no notion of what going on downstairs and he felt a smile tug at the corners of his thin mouth. Potion or not one cup of tea always made Lilly feel utterly fatigued and begin snoring within a quarter of an hour. Usually five minutes since their son was born and the sporadic sleep-schedules of parenthood took their toll on both of them. Snape longed to be in his living room watching some silly muggle show that Lilly remembered from her days in the muggle world which she still enjoyed. He had always found this silly but loved the fact that they seemed to soothe her; soothe her to the point that she would lay on his chest and fall asleep with the baby nestled against her breasts for his feeding. And to think he had considered their homelife to be dull and already settled down and how he would give anything in that moment just to have this night be gone and have that dull normalcy which so many married people cursed.

It was when his mother spoke that he was brought out of his moping he said, "I have time." he spoke gently, as gently as he could because after all she is his mother.

"Severus there is a marriage law for people like us..." she began warily.

Severus nodded he had heard of that sort of thing, where a woman and or man was matched up by the ministry for reasons no one quite understood and no one really bothered to question. It was just one of those many bizarre normalities in the wizarding world that were there for some inexplicable reason or another that no one bothered to ask about. The kind of thing like why muggleborns were still magical despite having no magical history in their bloodlines but still that did not explain why she had kept this secret from him all these years, he felt the old scar on his left cheek where old Toby had taken a kitchen knife to his face. His ribs seemed to begin to ache from invisible beatings he had long withstood over the years. Still he felt himself going down on his knees winded as the memory of his childhood abuse brought back the pains of all those years full force and he felt sick.

He closed his eyes against the wave of dizzying nausea that assaulted him to no end as he remembered that slimy redheaded git who he had called father for so many years.

"It didn't matter that I love Abraxas...if I broke my marriage bond my physical heart would explode in my chest." she told him softly, "If Abraxas had known he would have had to take you from me and-"

"Take me?" he echoed, "why?"

"In order to keep the ministry from taking you and putting you to death, they don't take kindly to children being born out of wedlock outside of the marriage law." she went on.

Her physical heart would explode in her chest? He would have been taken by the ministry and put to death? What in Merlin's beard was she on about? Was this the bloody 1800s where illegitimate love children were worth little more than fodder for the workhouses and orphanages? But the look on his mother's face was enough to quell any ideas that she was lying to him. She went to him and put her arms around Severus but for some reason her embrace angered him and he shoved her back off him so hard that she clattered into the mahogany coffee table which clattered so loudly that it woke his wife from whatever dream she had been in previously. Severus heard her stirring but his anger was so massive as his reflection, the scars and broken nose permanently deformed from bad healings of its many breaks.

"All the same..." Albus said gently trying to defuse the situation. "This is not something that should have been kept from him... Lilly knows about Remus and there is no reason to keep it from him."

This was true, Severus knew that while Remus still retained the name Lupin, he too had been adopted by professors Mcgonagall and Dumbledore same as Lilly had when upon his 5th birthday, just at the start of that year, he had been bitten by that werewolf and his mother; old frail Bagadia had been unable to handle the challenge. Much like Lilly's parents the old single mother had done her best when the child was small, because much like a puppy when the child was small so was the wolf inside him. He was to say the least manageable as a puppy, because the dark presence was still small enough for the woman to control. But as he matured so did the beast within and eventually she could not handle him and he too was given to Albus and Minerva who raised him alongside Lilly and -much to Snape's annoyance- introduced her to Potter and Black- and nearly ruined his chances with her forever- thank you very much- not.

However, Severus had to admit, the man's brotherly affection knew no bounds and this was a good thing for Lilly because she had always been closest to Lupin though she was indeed very fond of the others. In fact it was because of Lupin that Potter had backed the bloody hell off and let him be when it came to marrying Lilly. Severus glowered at his mother eyes blazing he did something in that moment he would regret for the rest of his life. He whirled around and shoved his mother hard into the wall slapping her face so hard that an angry red mark appeared on her porcelain cheek. Had he been in any right state of mind he would have been horrified enough to tear his hand from his arm and throw it into the fire. Never in his right mind would he have struck a woman especially his mother; but he was not in control of himself right now and with his rage guiding his every movement all he could do was glare at her and yell.

"YOU LYING BITCH!" he roared at the top of his voice

"Severus please..."Albus, began but one look at the other wizard's face silenced him.

"All the years of abuse I went through trying to protect you... the beatings the dark magic learning to hate muggles and for what, a lie?" he snapped.

"I couldn't lose you, had I handed you Abraxas," she started but Snape wasn't listening, "You would have been calling someone else mother..."

She began to cry but it had no effect on him, "Telling your husband you were raped?" he raged, "Making me believe that this _monster_ is my father this, this this is the only reason I joined the ruddy death eaters to begin with."

This admission seemed torn from his chest came out with all the emotion of a rejected child as he admitted the unthinkable, that he the stone hearted death-eater was nothing more than a lost little boy who wanted his father. Believing the monster was his father he had joined with him searching for the approval he never got as a boy. In that moment he felt more the little boy than a man and he hated himself as he blubbered helplessly on the floor. He heard footsteps on the floor, the stairs adjacent to him and he looked up to see Lilly standing there, pale and ashen faced at the sight of her baby in a strangers arms and her husband sobbing on the floor. She went to him, putting her arms around him automatically and making little circles on her back the way she used to when they were small children and he had been frightened of his father as a child.

"Sev?" she mumbled sleepily, "what's the trouble?"

"This man," he gestured at the blonde wizard before him, " is my father."

Lilly's mouth opened and shut again as she met the man's silver eyes and she squinted to get a closer look at the stranger who was once again holding her son and the woman who wept beside him. Lilly recognized the woman from her wedding and the resemblance to her husband but the man was foreign to her handsome though he was and she moved in to get a closer look. She did not see much of a resemblance but it was most-certainly there returning to her husband she held him in what she hoped was a comforting gesture and nuzzled his shoulder. Lily really had enough of this night' it was well-passed 4:30 in the morning and she wanted to take her husband upstairs and go back to bed. No more Dark Lords, Death-Eaters, ministers and unwanted relatives popping up at the door at all hours revealing family secrets that no one asked to know. Just a quiet night with the man she loved and her child chasing dreams as perfect as it had been before the nightmare began.

What she really wanted more than anything in the world right now was to rest...bloody hell she was pregnant for Merlin's sake and as a doctor she knew, she just knew that this amount of stress was in no way good for the baby and could wind up proving catastrophic to both of them. And with the night Severus was having she wished he had saved that sleeping draft for use on himself. Heaven knew he was going to need it, but just like before the draft she knew she would not sleep soundly again this night as the questions began to swarm like stinging wasps inside her throbbing temples. This man was Severus's father? Then who was Tobias and why did he carry the name; who was this man and what was going on in her husband's head that caused him to react this way. He had been a bundle of nerves all night-not that she blamed him- the fact that she had retained her Gryffindor brevity at all was the mere definition of a miracle plain and simple.

Her brother was a werewolf, her mother was the most stern woman she had ever met and her father had defeated a dark lord way before Voldemort had arrived on the scene. Even at the age of 11 she must always be brave even in the worst of times; the trouble was that right now she did not _want_ to be brave. If she were being completely honest she wanted to collapse to her knees and thank Merlin that she and those she loved were alive and well. Just then a horrible thought hit her like a punch to the stomach. What if the Death-Eaters were after revenge as they would in a muggle gang and went after her family. She knew her husband and kids were safe because they could not apparate anywhere near her or the school but her brother...his wife...she paled her nerves getting the better of her she raised her wand and whispered a summoning charm.

The bowl of floo powder flew into her hand and she tossed a huge fistful of it into the fire not hearing the others as she choked out, "Remus?"

The face of a weary man appeared in the flames and he wheezed out, "Lilly? it's late..." he mumbled.

"Oh thank god!" she sobbed falling to her knees in sudden relief.

Remus frowned, "Lilly what's the matter?" he asked awake at once.

"Oh Rem!" she wailed, "it was horrible..."

"What is -Lilly calm down!- what in the name of Merlin are you talking about?" he stammered his sister's hysteria too much for him.

"You know who came and he- Severus- Harry...Pregnant..." she was too hysterical to speak in full sentences.

Remus' eyes widened, "What? Lilly what are you talking about?" he asked panicking,

"Lord Voldemort came and attacked Harry!" she sobbed forgetting her courage in her relief that he was all right.

"What, hold on Lilly I am coming..." he told her and within moments he appeared in the fire place with a handful of hs wand and shabby greatcoat.

Lilly hurtled herself at him he caught her neatly and pulled her close while she cried, making small circles on her back the werewolf kissed his little sister on the head. (They were the same age, but he was considerably taller and stronger than her so he still called her little) He rocked her back and forth and back and forth closing his eyes as he absorbed her pain; his soft almond-colored eyes darting between the people in the room. He kissed his mother's cheek; allowed his father to embrace him and shook hands with Severus after a moment. But his eyes lowered onto Eileen and he glowered; he had never been a fan of Severus and had really never liked his mother any more; in fact although Remus did not hate anyone and had never hated another human being in his life her snobbery against all those who did not fit into her pureblood ideology which made his blood boil. Still she was Lilly's mother-in-law and if what she said was true then she had every right to be concerned about her son.

"It's a long story which I have no desire to state a second time." Eileen cut him off. "In any case I am here to give a gift to my son."

Severus looked up, blinking,a gift? What did she mean? He had asked her for nothing and frankly wanted nothing from his parents unless it was a way to end the day quicker. He was sick and exhausted, both Lilliana and Harry were now wailing in his would-be brother-in-law's arms and he was now homeless for the love of God. His poor flower who had been so brave all night had finally lost her cool and was now having the normal hysteria which one would expect in this situation. Severus, in any other situation would have shushed her, tried to calm her down and told her a little jokingly perhaps that she was being a 'silly girl' but at the moment he had no desire to do so. In truth, while he could not say he was happy to see her in this state -he wasn't- he was to say the least relieved that she was a human being and in such a panic just like he was. It made him feel far less pathetic at the very least to know that, as much as he had lost his own senses his wife was not impervious to the events of tonight as she held onto her brother.

"Yes but what is going on?" Remus interrupted again looking to Snape for answers.

Snape growled low in his throat, "Your friend...Pettigrew..." he began but Lupin cut him off.

"Peter?" he stared blankly, "What about him?"

"He brought Voldemort to my home at Spinner's End tonight." he told him.

Remus went very pale, _"What?"_ he breathed, "He brought- but-but _why?"_

"Your guess is as good as the rest of ours..." Dumbledore said quietly, "No one knows anything."

Lilly spoke up, "he said," she sobbed, "he said, 'he would have killed me...' but I almost did it for him."

Remus smirked gently, leave it to his sister to take the time to almost kill her attacker in the face of this absolute nightmare. "I see," he began, "are the three of you all right?"

Lilly shook her head in the negative, "Can we come stay with you?" she sobbed, "Our home is destroyed and I'm pregnant."

Remus was about to respond when Eileen cut him off, "No she can't!" Severus turned to look at her. "If you would all let me finish!" she said loudly.

Severus gave her a hard look but nodded, "what is it?" he asked coldly unsure of how much more he could take.

"Well as you know your stepfather died and I am now free of the bond so I married Abraxas."

"Good for you," Snape said carelessly.

His mother ignored him, "So Prince Manor is now yours...you can move in at once."

Severus froze at the mention of his old ancestral family home, the one Eileen had left behind when she married her husband to go to his little flat at Spinner's End and raise him. He knew even though she had left it that she had not sold it, her pride of her maiden name was one of the few things she had retained in her marriage to that bastard. But the idea that he was now the owner of such a large estate _and_ the fortune that came with it when he was so used to having to work so hard for everything he'd ever had was quite a shock. He felt numb as the news that he, a man who had resigned himself to working hard for everything he had was now wealthy, and had enough money so that Lilly would never have to work again if she did not want to. His head was spinning again,but not from sickness this time, from anticipation; because he had always believed that his flower deserved more than he could offer but now...now he could.

There was no sound in the room save for the breathing of the others and Lilly's sniffles as her sobs finally calmed down into hiccoughs and she had at last removed her soaking, tear-stained face from the front of her brother's stained shirt which was now sopping with her tears. His mother was smiling at him, a real genuine smile as she handed him a single golden key -the master key- to his massive estate. He had seen Prince Manor often as a child, she had used it as a summer home and he knew its floor-plan well, five bedrooms the size of his flat and a full staff for everything. Severus could not help the small smile that tugged at his mouth as she embraced him and he turned into her boy again and stroked the spot on her cheek where he had struck her by way of apology. She shook her head, she could not be mad at him; he had every right to be angry with her and she deserved whatever she got from him.

"Oh we couldn't!" Lilly said, "Not your house."

Eileen shushed her patting her arm, "It's not my house," she said gently, "It's the Prince family manor and he is the heir to it."

"But surely your other son..." Lilly said trying to be fair.

Her mother-in-law waved her away, "My other son married a Black and got Malfoy Manor as a wedding gift, he has plenty of money." she sent her a maternal glance, "But as prestigious as my son marrying the headmaster's daughter is, you haven't a single knut to your name really and he is my youngest son the rightful heir to the estate."

"Oh," she yawned, "Thanks then..." she mumbled, seriously humbled by the enormity of such a gift.

"Don't you think father-" Remus began, "that Lilly had better get off to bed now?"

Albus yawned loudly as well, "Quite right Remus, quite right," he walked passed Mrs. Malfoy to his daughter and pulled her close into his arms, "Time for bed now dear." he whispered kissing the back of her head and allowing her to nuzzle him he allowed himself a smile.

Lilly did not argue she was too tired to do so, she was so tired and she had to grab the sofa to stand up as her daughter kicked her so hard in protest of her movement. She groaned unable to get up and collapsed back on the sofa, the pregnancy already taking its tole on her as she held her now sleeping son and closed her eyes unable to relax as a wave of emotions came over her. The fear, over the night's events, the relief that her family was all right and the excitement of getting a new home to raise her children up in. But her mind was too foggy and Remus was so warm; he still had his arms around her and she could almost hear her first snore as she willed it to conjure itself into existence. Her brother was still cradling her, and his soft freshly-starched shirt was just so comforting. He was speaking, Lilly could hear that, but she just could not make out what he was saying.

It was as if he was underwater...

 _"Poor dear..._ _gargle, gargle...pregnant...gargle..."_ was all she heard.

She vaguely heard Eileen and Abraxas saying goodbye, heard her father bidding them good evening and then her world went blissfully and completely dark. Severus smiled as he heard Lilly snoring again and turned to see her sound asleep on her brother's chest, Remus smiling and held her close and her husband as eager as he was to get her to their new home he found the picture just so adorable that he did not want to break the spell. Remus had the same idea it seemed, for he made no move to remove her from his chest and even closed his own eyes and settled down into the couch to sleep too. Severus nodded, yawning himself as he followed the headmaster upstairs to a room adjacent to the one where Professor McGonagall was still asleep, a lake of drool positively drenching her pillow. Albus sighed and went into the room where his wife was and bayed Severus good night.

Severus walked weakly, down the hallway his body and eyes heavy with exhaustion and feeling lonesome for his wife although he could still hear her hard snores from downstairs and even the sound of his son following suit. He smiled again unable to help himself and turned toward the massive black-and-white four-poster bed with its checkered pattern and false-fur pillow and he fell into it fully clothed. His body cracked and popped in sudden relief and his dizzy mind seemed to shut off finally allowing him to relax. Severus closed his eyes and let his mind go perfectly blank, yes he had to get to his new home, yes he was in grave danger and yes his wife was pregnant and downstairs alone with a werewolf but he was just so tired and the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. Tomorrow was always there and tomorrow was another day; so for tonight he would sleep and what a well-deserved sleep it would be.

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait but hope this extra long chapter makes up for it!**


	8. Quiet Moments

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter eight**

 _Quiet Moments_

Severus did not sleep well at all that night; he kept having fitful dreams as they played out over and over like a horrorshow in his head. The dreams were as vivid as if they were reality and every time he woke from one dream another one began and each time it was worse than the last, more vivid, more terrifying and more horrible than the first. Over and over he saw his little home at Spinner's end; Lilly's body was splayed out on the floor. Lifeless and dead, pale as the moon and he screamed in his sleep as he clutched her to his chest and rocked her back and forth as little Harrison blubbered in the corner at the sight of his dead mother -for which Severus could not blame him- he would be blubbering too if he was watching his mother die. The worst part was that he was indeed so beyond exhausted that he could not wake from this one; he just sat there and watched the horror.

Voldemort laughing, Voldemort leaning over his son, his pregnant wife dead on the floor and he was completely helpless to do anything besides scream and hold the body as that horrible black wand pointed at him. Nevermore in his life had the former Death Eater wished for death himself. Tears hot and heavy ran like acid rain down his pale face. His hands were tangled into her red hair and he was screaming rocking Lilly begging as no doubt she had done for Harrison when he was in danger. Pleading with his former master to just...leave him in peace. How badly he longed for peace and rest this night; he was so tired and so sick from the night before, his son and his wife were alive he knew that much. Somewhere deep in his subconscious he knew this was nothing more than a bad dream but at the same time it was so real.

He was on his knees in the living room, Lilly dead the baby screaming and just when he saw the green light, the flash that would end it all for him and at last bring him peace some sort of mercy woke him in the form of a loud, deep roaring noise beside him. Someone else was in the room with him, in the bed beside him. He turned over to run, his heart racing, eardrums throbbing painfully as the pulsing pressure point in his head. Severus groaned; rubbing his head as he recognized the sound as someone snoring. Snape frowned, he did not want the noise in the room or this nightmares or the pain in his head tonight. How he envied Lilly the ease with which she had been able to fall asleep. Severus held onto the dog-tag locket he wore around his neck and he opened it, squinting down at the tiny picture of their wedding day. Lilly was always so beautiful but on that day she had been at her loveliest, that day when he had realized that the only woman he had ever cared about was irrevocably his.

The Lilly in the photo was snoring softly on his shoulder, while 20-yr old him was holding her and drooling on her ample bosom, obviously even they were aware of the lateness of the hour and had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Severus wanted more than anything to be downstairs with Lilly and felt jealous of her brother downstairs holding her in his arms while, he, her husband was left upstairs to his demons. He sat upright in bed, his body covered in icy perspiration as he turned his head this way and that; fearing that the Dark Lord was in the room but found it dark and silent. Other than the moonlight pouring through the window he was sure this was darker than any cell at Azkaban. Severus swiped at his brow, and felt the coldness of his brow as his itchy eyes annoyed and begged him for relief. A yawn tore through his entire body with such force that he collapsed back on the bed, still awake he gazed up at the starry night reflected in the ceiling for a moment.

It used to be so soothing to him, on those nights he could not sleep back in the Slytherin dormitories he would just watch the cosmos move slowly around as if they were wandering travelers on a lazy sunday stroll. It was of no help now; and he could figure out by then that even in a nightmare one could sleep if not all that well. He knew he needed some sleep, he had a long day and had an even longer one coming as tomorrow he would have to settle into his new home tomorrow morning. Severus sighed and turned over laying his hand on some soft fabric he thought was a blanket he tugged a little but was surprised to discover that it was not a blanket but his wife's hair. The noise he had heard; the one that had woken him up from that dream was nothing more than his wife's snoring which had now gotten so long and loud that it was obvious she had been in a deep sound sleep for some time as peaceful as anything.

Severus smiled, finally letting himself relax as the feel of her hair slipped through his fingers and she laid on him; nuzzling his chest and warm as a loud nasal snore erupted from her nose. One...two...three... _snore..._ and then a loud exhale; a mumble and then a smile before she settled down into bed again holding him tightly around the waist. Severus assumed that she had most likely been unable to remain asleep either and went looking for him -some time ago from the sound of how deep her snoring was. She slung her leg over his, and he didn't move her, she squeezed him around the waist and he allowed it, enjoying the warmth of her arms around him as he fell asleep at last, the moment she got off the bed and used him as a mattress and his chest as a pillow. He smiled a little and used his arms as a blanket, before closing his eyes for the last time that night.

The next morning came so fast that Severus was unaware of how long he had been sleeping and only with the feel of Lilly's cool gentle hands on his aching shoulders pressing out the tension. He groaned, her tiny hands felt wonderful on his poor back and he made no move to open his eyes, just lay there for a moment enjoying the affection she was giving him. After the events of last night and the night before he needed a little affection and a little normalcy right now and he slowly opened his dark eyes to look at her from where he lay still face-down on the bed and he saw her green eyes looking tenderly at him. She looked rested for once and he reached up wrapping his right arm around her waist and drawing her into bed beside him and spooning her with his face buried in the long tendrils of fire-red hair. He couldn't help it, he inhaled the smell of irises in her hair, he had always loved the smell of her shampoo; bright and clean and oddly feminine but not too much. Just like his wife, sweet and gentle but spirited and strong; it was one of the things he loved most about her.

He rubbed his chin into it, she smiled turning and kissing her husband deeply as she had done when they were first together and he cupped the sides of her face as he plunged his tongue deeper and deeper till she was beneath him. He felt the softness of her skin beneath his hands and he realized how much he had missed her and just how worried about how she was doing, the baby wasn't with her right now, Severus made a mental note to go check on him as soon as he was done with Lilly. For the moment however, he just wanted to be a man with his wife and the next thing he knew Lilly was holding him closely and so tight that he could not get up even if he wanted to. Not that he wanted to; she was kissing him and holding him as though her life depended on it and the next thing he knew she was touching him and undressing him.

God he had never wanted her hands on him more as he pulled her robe open and bent down to kiss the baby growing inside his wife as she climbed ontop of him wrapping her arms around him like Devil's snare. But he made no move to pull out of her arms as she crawled over him and undressed knowing in her damnably intuitive way what her husband needed from her. He was sure however as he undressed his flower, caused her petals to bloom that she needed it just as much as he did. He did not need magic to tell him that sex was the most intimate expression of love their was and anyone who had just come out of such a terrifying situation. He was undressing her slowly, being gentle but feeling the urgency of the moment the need to be with her and be a normal man...the need to escape for just one moment. Lilly was kissing him, breathing into his mouth, breathing life back into him as if she were the key to his very existence. Then they were making love to one another, completely entwined as they expressed their emotions for one another after such a stressful couple of days.

The weight of these passed couple nights was so heavy that it seemed to be crushing him, the pressure intensifying to the point of where the pain was actually physical. He groaned underneath her as she moved to join their bodies her hair tangling in the hands which were everywhere as Severus began to cry. This was the woman he loved, the only woman he had ever loved his best friend, his _everything._ He prayed she would forgive him, prayed that this would all just go away and let them be. They had so much now, everything was perfect now; they both had families and extended families They had a new home; and two kids and everything was the way he had always wanted it but now the dark lord's lackeys were going to be after them. Voldemort -whatever was left of him- would not take this lying down and he would be out for blood.

And Severus knew all too well what that meant, he had been the assassin for his supposed father and had done things in the name of vengeance which would make a boggart cringe. Things that were it not for he-who-must-not-be-named and his aptitude at memory charms he would surely have been thrown into Azkaban and the key tossed to the whomping willow to be turned to dust. Horrible ghastly things which his dear wife knew nothing about and he was glad of that for she would think him a monster. Severus' stomach churned as the memory of what he had done flashed before his eyes. Horrible, ghastly acts of brutality that would have made murder appear like a mercy. If his own history was any indication of what was to come...come after them then he had a lot to worry about for they would soon be in great deal of trouble of that he had zero doubts.

Severus tried to squash the panic in his belly at the thought of the coming repercussions. He had to protect them-had to keep them safe-had to-had to... his thoughts were lost as he felt their bodies joining and watched her eyes slipping shut as she made a soft crooning sound to show her appreciation of her husband. He forgot to be worried, forgot to be weeping and just allowed himself to be lost in Lilliana, the warmth of her; the softness of her skin and the sounds she was making as they did what married lovers do, Her hands were all over him and his hands came to rest in her hair, such beautiful crimson hair like silken water slipping through his fingers as her kisses cooled the fire. The hammering of his heart slowed down and he relaxed into her arms knowing they had to be quiet because her family -and his- as far as he knew were all downstairs and he did not wish to alert them to what was going on in the upper chamber of his place of employment.

Their bodies were the finest tonics for this situation and Severus lost himself in the light and the warmth of her as she made him a man again and he did the best he could to be as slow and gentle as he could. He knew that she needed his gentler side right now and he in turn needed to be told that he was a good man and that his inability to protect them the prior nights was not his fault. As their hands ran over one another he cried the last of his stress out into their passions and then they relaxed into one another's arms for God only knew how long but he could have cared less. He kissed the side of Lilly's face and rubbed his cheek on her shoulder. She turned and kissed him again, relaxed at last she knew she would have to get up soon and take care of Harrison and go home to her new house. But now she just wanted to lay down with her husband, savoring the moment alone with him.

Lilly was still incredibly tired as was to be expected when pregnant and having slept on the solidness of another human rather than a bed but still she wasn't uncomfortable as she laid there letting the aftershocks of their lovemaking go through her body. Her baby was downstairs with a no-doubt very happy uncle Remus who loved babies and would be very happy to entertain the child for a bit while he finally caught his breath knowing he needed to go to Prince Manor where his new home was waiting to be explored, he couldn't wait to show his wife what he was really worth. Lilly always told him that she did not care or mind that they were poor...well not poor more like middle class but all the same. Now he had everything most young men wanted to give their wives, a house, money, love and not one but two children.

The thought made him smile as he noted Lilly was once again asleep and snoring and he briefly wondered if he should have her checked for narcolepsy as she seemed unable to remain awake for any considerable amount of time. But then again she was pregnant and had such a rough time of it all lately so many huge changes happening in their lives one after the other. First a baby then an attack then an adoption, then a pregnancy and now a new home in a whole nother world. It was really a lot for anyone and exhaustive to the nth degree and he could not wait to get her home and settle her down into their life with their children. He would call Remus and Potter and Black and maybe even...his older brother so he could see their new son again. They had a boy just a month older than Harrison and if he was indeed uncle Severus to this child than it was his right to see him.

He had his reservations of course, he had questions obviously but most importantly he wanted to be a part of a real family; have a father who would be proud of him have his mother and father over for tea and not have comments about his dirty ginger wife or stupid looking son. Lilly rolled over in his arms and sighed nuzzling he husband's chest. Severus played with her hair and reached down stroking the baby nesting inside her, a girl the pregometer had told him. He found himself gulping, was he ready for the challenge of raising a daughter? Severus' head was spinning as he imagined Lilly's eyes in the face of yet another bewitching female who would have every part of his heart; and one whom he knew he would have trouble refusing. He looked at her sleeping face

He also knew that Nymphadora was expecting Lilly had been over the moon at the news and had not shut up about it since; these were his family, brothers and aunts and uncles and grandparents all gathered round her as they always should have been. He looked at his wife and kissed her eyelids; lashes fluttering like the petals of a flower still awaiting the command to bloom; her naked body flushed and blushing rosy with the signs of their lovemaking. She had never seemed more beautiful to him then in that moment; and he, the snake in the grass that had put her in so much danger had never felt less worthy or more undeserving of the woman who loved him so much. He, in that moment knew the ultimate meaning of the word regret, and Merlin did he regret every day he had spent by Lord Voldemort's side. If only he had been patient, if only he had realized that she loved him and that he did not have to do those things then none of this would have happened.

If only his mother had told him that he was a Malfoy, and he had been allowed to know that the man whose approval he sought was nothing more than a monster he could have at least tried to avoid the danger he had put himself in. But he was just a boy...a small abused child looking so hard for that paternal perfection that he needed that _all_ children needed especially sons. He had always believed if he had a son, boys needed their fathers to learn to be a man and he'd had Lord Voldemort and an abusive muggle to guide him. It had taken all his effort not to emulate these men and now as he looked at his wife he hoped against hope that she would forgive him as he watched her sleep in his arms. It occurred to him then- for the first time- that they had had sex in the rooms at Hogwarts and that should Dumbledore or Mcgonagall wake up they would be most displeased to find their daughter naked and the sheets soiled.

He loathed to wake her, he knew she desperately needed to sleep but he wanted to get her home, show her the wealth and the house that was now at her disposal. He wanted to be away from her parents, his parents all relatives in general where she could have a good long rest in her home. No, not her home...their home. The Evanes, quaint country home with Petunia and her muggle parents. The home that he, Severus had never been allowed into because he was -supposedly- the one who had turned her into that sort of person. Privet Drive had been her home with her parents, then the home Dumbledore home in Godric's Hollow with Remus when in their full custody. Those had been her home and hers alone, but this was their home and he wanted more than anything to enjoy it. He turned and shifted her into her undergarments and a robe as soft and warm as the blankets he had just pulled her out of and he dressed her.

Lilly woke and stroked his face, "Sev..." she said quietly, "You're crying again."

"I'm sorry." he said feeling pathetic.

Lilly looked at his face and knew he was not apologizing for weeping but rather for the past he had which had lead to the man she loved becoming the man he was today. She sat down again on the bed and patted the coverlet which had magically made itself up with fresh sheets -much to their own relief- and tugged on his hand to sit him down. Lilly looked into those obsidian eyes and leaned in, slowly she stroked his hair back from his face, the silky black tendrils of hair sliding easily through her fingers as she leaned in to kiss the hollow of his right ear before lowering her lips to his cheek. Sev closed his eyes, his hand finding hers and pressing it more deeply into the folds of his cheek and turning his lips to kiss her palm.

"It's all right..." she said in a maternal tone. "You didn't do it on purpose. "

"But he almost killed you!" Severus said unable to hide his despair, "he came after you and I wasn't even home."

Lilly shushed her husband, "But he didn't..." she told him firmly, "Everything's all right..."

"But what if?" he choked out. "What if..." he could not finish the thought; it was too horrible to imagine.

"Shush." she said firmly, "No more 'what ifs' love, everything is all right."

Severus Snape was not a weak man, and he did not usually go to pieces so easily but in that moment he heard her underlying message. Everything is all right and Lilly...had already forgiven him. He fell to his knees and held onto the hem of her dress sobbing wretchedly as she made soothing sounds and pressed her hands into his hair. He looked up grabbed her hands and kissed her tiny palms one at a time with such reverence that he could very well have been a medieval knight before his ladylove after coming home from the wars to find his family -blessedly- in one piece and he was more than grateful for it. He cried into her hands kissing them one at a time and she pulled him back into the bed. He was so exhausted and he desperately needed to rest and she covered him under the blankets again. She sat on the end of the bed and stroked his hair waiting for him to fall asleep.

She sat there watching his chest rise and fall for a moment, humming softly as she watched him finally sleeping. There would be time later to collect her son she thought as she lay beside him. For now they would enjoy the moment, him sleeping; her awake but resting her eyes as she nestled into his embrace. Lilly heard someone coming upstairs. Her brother's voice muffled and gargled and her baby being laid on her chest. Remus kissed her head, she knew it was him because he smelled of tobacco smoke and just a hint of peppermint. Little Harrison cooed and curled his hand into her hair and she heard her brother wishing her pleasant dreams...

She fell asleep.

 **Hey it's my birthday tell me how you like the update?**


	9. Departure

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter Nine**

 _Departure_

Lilly woke up with heavy everything, heavy eyes and limbs the pain in her sore loveworn muscles she reached for her husband and found; much to her annoyance that she was alone in the massive four-poster bed with her baby boy cooing and weeping with the innocence of an infant. She frowned, wondering where in Merlin's name Severus had gone off to at a time like this. He could not have gotten far, she knew that much for he would never leave her alone with a time like this when she had been frightened enough to lose her composure in front of both their she was not proud of, for her courage; that Gryffindor brevity was something she had always considered her finest quality, finer still than her sharp wit. For it was her bravery that had put her into the house of her parents; her courage which had propelled her to the office of house head-girl and perfect, the prodigy of Gryffindor house. Lilly smiled, remembering how she, daughter of the deputy headmistress and headmaster had risen rapidly to become the youngest in both category; at thirteen she had become the youngest prefect in two centuries.

Her biological mother and father had been less than impressed as excelling at academia had never truly been a priority of theirs at least where their daughters were concerned. Mr. Evans had believed that women had two purposes in life, the first was to be simple. Simple women were best, never asking too many questions, never being smarter than their men. Always making their men feel needed and invincible like some superhero or something, feeling they were steady and needed from their wives rather than put out by then. Yes, in their eyes, simple women were the best when it came to marriage and household roles; the second part of these requirements was that women be pretty. Pretty women make men happy her father always told them growing up. Men wanted their women pretty because it gave them something to come home to and something to look at.

"Women make the home men make the money," her mother had always told her. "It's a woman's job to tend her man and keep his castle clean."

Lilly recalled her birth father when he came home from a hard day at work always kissing her mother and praising his three pretty girls; his simple, stupid pretty girls and his perfect cookie-cutter life. Something to remind him of why he worked as hard as he did so that he could be favored with one of her smiles at the end of a long day. His perfect little life with his perfect, little princesses and wholesome English wife. Lilly wondered, not for the first time why she had not been born normal as a child and adolescent she had longed to be normal. But more importantly she had longed, she realized, to be her father's favorite...she had at that time longed to be... Petunia. Pretty, blonde, simple Petunia Rose, with her natural gold hair, bright baby blue eyes, and her mother's Susie Homemaker talent which would no doubt make her the envy of the suburban set. Pretty perfect Petunia, her father's favorite child...her father's normal child everything at that time Lilly had wished to be and sadly was not.

Oh, she had tried, certainly she had, she had worked so hard to not be magical, to not be a witch to just be your normal average muggle ginger. To be like her sister, date the banker; marry and put on the apron the way her own mother had. To be content in the muggle home and garden world she had been happy in until she had found out that she was magical. It made her special at first, her father had said so, and she had even thought he might've loved her, might have thought she was special. But when she got older and the magic began to flourish he had told her pointedly that no decent man would want her if she was into _that_ sort of thing and she had better stop it. Lilly had tried to be simple, to take up interests in knitting and needlework and fastening lace onto the edges of doilies as she laid matching china tea-plates with their cups while baking scones and chocolate biscuits. The baking and cooking thing she had mastered just like her mother and even -she allowed a little bit of a pat for herself at this- better than Petunia.

But no matter how hard she tried she was a witch through-and-through and the harder she ran from it the harder and more impossible it became. She was magical, unordinary and she was _brilliant._ She hated knitting, detested domestic duties and was so grateful for magic when it came to those things. And no matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried she simply could _not_ make herself dumb; she liked academia she enjoyed school and she found herself needing always some sort of intellectual stimulation from someone whether it be from a friend or partner she needed someone with whom she could match wits. Which was probably why as she had gotten older she had become so attracted to Severus, rather than the handsome James Potter. James had been like her father, handsome, wealthy and hardworking but with the belief that whatever woman he had chosen to marry would be at home having a child and making him look good.

"A doctor?" James had laughed, "Whatever for?" Lilly had been angry, and told him that she wished to help people and the boy laughed again.

But Severus had not laughed at her when she told him, "A fine profession for you flower," he told her and placed a daisy in her hair.

"James doesn't think so..." she remembered saying, to which Severus had narrowed his eyes, "He doesn't think I can..."

" _Who cares_ what that swine thinks," he had snapped, not directly at her but in general, "You want to be a doctor you go right ahead..."

It was the difference in their responses which had first made her decision over which man she was meant for. James was wonderful, certainly, but he was simply not for her. He wasn't stupid and it wasn't like he would not have made her a good husband for he had then and still does care for her very deeply; he was a good man very well thought of from a good wizard family and she had known even when she was dating him that he was a far greater 'catch' than her best friend. But he just did not really seem all that interested in her pursuing things outside of Hogwarts; he believed, as Mr. Evans did that even a witch was to make her husband look good, that her magic was to applied to housekeeping and The idea that she wanted a separate life from him; separate from her marriage was a completely foreign concept to the handsome Gryffindor who intended that his wife spend all her time doing leisurely activities rather than working and the _very thought_ that she wanted to spend all her time mending sick people was just beyond his realm of comprehension.

She shrugged finding her lips pulled back into a smile despite herself, her ex had considered her weird and her birth-parents had seen her as little more than a disappointment but her guardians had applauded her and held her up. Whereas Petunia had wailed her a freak and her parents had followed suit and told her always that she ought to be more like her sister; her new family cherished her. Remus protected and guarded her with the protection of an older brother -even though he was not- her father doted on and protected her as a man should with his only daughter and Minerva loved and guided her with the tender firmness of a real mother. One who did not want her to hide her academic prowess but drove it on; coaxed her tiny sparks of intellectual curiosity into roaring flames. The gentle pressures of her head-of-house had made her proud, but her accomplishments as her daughter made her positively roar with pride.

At only thirteen she had made her guardians -now parents- proud as the house prefect and then, oh and then at the age of fifteen she had become the same over but instead of prefect it had been head girl at school which she had been for two years. The youngest and the bravest junior officer in the Lion's Den her parents and brother had been so proud of her. It was her deep-rooted lionheart, the roar she held deep within every fiber of her being, which had made her close to her mother and had cemented so many things in her life. It was Minerva's gentleness, her maternity; the way she had always wanted a daughter and so lavished the castaway girl with all the tenderness she could muster. Lilly made a mental note to thank her mother for that when she saw her this morning, she and Dumbledore had saved her and made her who she was.

Lilly reached down and stroked her belly where her daughter lay growing inside her and smiled again, making a mental note to give Severus a repeat of last night in thanks for his love of her as well. For where Potter had thought her foolish and silly for her dreams and ambitions he had encouraged them, he had promoted them, long nights of helping her learn the tonics and medicines to help her pass her tests. Even celebrated with her when she had landed that job as St. Mungo's and promising that he was not at all put out by the knowledge that she wanted a career and a family did not bother him but made him proud. He was truly her perfect match, from their childhood friendship to their mental compatibility she knew deep down that no one would ever understand her like she did and that no one would ever understand him the way she could.

Severus said it had been love at first sight for him but she had known from the way she handled the darkest moments of her life to the way she dealt with the peculiarities of her husband and his curious emotional proclivities and inclinations to brood for long periods of time. He had this weird inclination to just sit quietly and think for hours with no particular prompting and would often go silent at the slightest provocation. Lilly smiled suddenly, slight as it was, as she thought about how glad she was that she had been the one to marry him and not someone else.

He was a rather difficult man, through no fault of his own she was sure; but his pensiveness could be taxing on the nerves if one did not have the patience to handle such a man. She smiled a little wider, what a man he was...one would have to be a brave person to not only love but handle this man and everything that came with him. The dark history, the abusive childhood and the dangerous and dark things he had taken such pleasure in during his schooldays at Hogwarts. It had been her courage, her willingness to accept all that he was, that had saved his life not too many years ago. It was her heart, her spirit that had saved her baby boy that terrible night just last night...and then she had lost it. Had it been under any other circumstances she would have blushed with embarrassment for she was never one to do so but she hoped that her family would forgive her. After all she was only human and it had not been intentional; she had panicked in the darkness of her ruined home and battered family.

She reached over and curled her delicate fingers in her son's hair, the tendrils of midnight fuzz; so sleek and untidy like Severus' own slid in between her fingers as though they were water. stroking her baby with a reverence that would have made God himself lower his head in utter reverence at the sight. The jagged scar, bumpy and matted to the touch brought back everything from the previous night flooding back so fast and hard that a dizziness took her and she had to shut her eyes. It all came back, the shock of being attacked, the weariness of such a restless and interrupted sleep, the hurt and sorrow over the loss of Peter, a man who she had once considered to be nothing less than her nearest and dearest companion. But above all of that, above all of her distressed relief was the fear, the fear for her brother and his pregnant wife, terror of what was now to come; terrified of her near-death experience and she held her son close.

Her tears came then, just a little at a time, a little more and a little more with every breath as she lowered her salty tearful lips to that dreadful crimson mark on his otherwise pristine head. Her own eyes looked back at her and he smiled showing just three teeny teeth as white and small as droplets of hail grinned at her and she had to smile she simply had to. It was short-lived of course, because looking at the smile on her face made her think again of what could have happened, her baby was so small and so innocent the idea that this monster had showed up and tried to kill him for no apparent reason other than a grudge; that she had never seen something so horrible and so utterly stupid in her life that she had to submit to forced and unnatural laughter, loud and hysterical so loud in fact that she was honestly surprised that no one had come upstairs to see what the matter was.

The baby cooed, oblivious to his mother's emotions and happy to nestle into her arms where he would be nice and warm and without thinking, she lifted him to her naked breast and allowed him to begin to feed relaxing almost entirely. She and Severus had talked about ceasing breast-milk and feeding in this fashion for he now had tiny baby teeth and could hurt her if he decided to bite down but right now she needed the contact and she was sure he did to. If he could talk he would have asked her for the bond she was positive of that and she was also positive that she could never have denied him. The feeling of his little pink lips sucking gently on her swelling nipple was soothing, calming her nerves and she began to rock back and forth in the bed while he cooed and suckled, making little gulping sounds as he swallowed. Lilly sighed and shook herself, cursing her own mind for being so relaxed that she fought the urge to sleep again when that seemed all she had been able to do for the past two days.

But it was no use, not now; the soothing feeling and calming sounds caused her body to sink all the way back down into bed as her son snuggled into the cushion of her breasts and she felt her eyes drooping so heavily, so very heavy again. Lilly gave in, the baby still cooing and sucking in blissful oblivion and she felt herself snoring as if she had never been awake. Her naked, well-loved body as warm and cozy as anything; the robe Severus had dressed her in little more than another blanket on her back and sleeves but open all the way down the front and slept so heavily that the sunlight coming in might have been an angelic halo passing over a dead woman with her child; immortalized by her creator right before she was given over to the angels to be fitted for wings. If it were not for the noise she was making, then she may have very well been dead for her body certainly felt that way. Dead-tired as she was and pregnant; her daughter kicked her gently to remind her of her presence and she groaned; not liking the feeling which normally would have brought her joy.

Right now, she wanted to not be pregnant, not be _anything_ just lie there existing in bed and well -she was horrified to admit it- die. Lilly just wanted to die, to lay down and die. Die of exhaustion, die of utter relief of shame at losing her senses and die of worry for the man she loved. Where was he, nowhere was safe, why had he left her alone in this room when she was so broken, so frightened and so...for lack of a better word -needy- at the moment. It was a feeling she hated more than anything else, for she had never in her life been one of those silly damsels in distress. Never a swooning silly woman who needed a man to protect her and she never wanted to be. Merlin what was the matter with her, at Spinner's End she had single-handedly fought off the most evil man in the world; busted up a death-eater's tongue for using the wrong word and even almost committed murder. But now here she was feeling like some silly little ninny and the swirling thoughts in her head woke her again and she huffed.

Her son had stopped feeding, he had dozed off; belly full and safe in his mother's arms he was curled in a fetal position with his thumb in his mouth and hair falling down over the scar on his forehead. She flattened it gently as if covering it in his hair would make it go away somehow; oh how she wished that it worked that way and her beautiful baby boy would be made whole again just by his mother's touch. But sadly, a mother's love -while a blessing in almost every other aspect and able to cure most other ailments- had no effect on cursed scars other than a single loving comfort movement for when the child someday thought himself to be ugly because of it. The thought saddened her; would her son think he was ugly when he was older and how was she going to tell him where it came from? Her father had always said that honestly was the best policy but could she really be honest about such a thing?

How on earth was she supposed to tell her son that he'd been attacked in his bed as a baby and that she and his father had hardly been able to save him and that was putting it lightly. Harry was so innocent, she thought as he looked down at the sleeping face of her baby, eyelids fluttered closed long delicate lashes ever-so-lightly against the high almost feminine cheekbones. She thought of his eyes last night, gemlike with emerald tears which made them both sparkle with beautiful water-droplets. Now he lay there, snoring softly in the bed where she had been she had fed him and she lifted him her breast again. Not to feed him again but to comfort herself that other than the scar that he was all right and in one piece. Something for which she was very thankful, she did not know what she would do if she ever lost him.

The thought made her head spin.

All these thoughts were making her brain ache again but she ignored it as this had become the norm for her it seemed, headaches and fatigue were becoming all too normal as of late. Her mind was buzzing dreadfully and the more she tried to answer her own questions the harder it became and so she settled for the obvious. The obvious answer was that she simply would not answer. After all, he would be a hero and already was, she had known this because while she and her husband were sleeping, there had been several owls singing the praises of her small child. As if being attacked in the middle of the night while one was asleep in their bed was an act of heroism rather than an awful incident. As exhausted as she was, the thought of her baby made her not want to die anymore; god only knew what would become of her son if she was not there when he got older.

How he would handle people singing his praises and badgering him for reasons he could never possibly answer when all he wanted to do was lay down with his mother and father like a normal baby. Lilly smiled. yes, that's all Harrison Severus Snape was, a beautiful normal baby boy with a mother and father and aunts and uncles and grandparents and he would never, ever be alone to face his upcoming reality. She held him close and he cooed softly, ever-so-softly and she thanked Merlin that Severus had come home to rescue her from the depravity of such a man for God only knew what would have been if she was alone surrounded by all those men. She had proven that she could handle one or two of them on her own and even fend off the Dark Lord for a time but if all of them got to her. If all of them, ganged up on her and he had not been able to make it in time...Lord knew what would happen. A thousand scenarios went through her mind each one worse than the other.

Lilly closed her eyes against the violent images assaulting her and turning her stomach; reminding herself that none of those things had happened to her. Still, it had made her feel sick; she had heard stories of the sickness of the death-eaters, how they liked to torture their victims and the men were worse than the women, often raping their victims many times over before killing them if they were lucky. If they were not they would be tortured a while and if they were pretty enough mayhap forced to bear a child or two to their captors, thank god Severus had come home, thank god he had stopped them and thank god the curse had backfired. In her endless platitude of thanks she added one final one, she thanked every god she had ever thought of that she had managed to save Severus from himself not-too-long ago.

Though this was little consolation in the long run for alive as the baby was,knowing what was coming did not make it any easier, the hero worship in which these grown adults held up her baby. The level of exaltation to which they carried her son who was not even aware of what he had done and totally unaware of what he had done, was annoying beyond words to the point of where she wanted to scream. These people were ridiculous, he was an infant and had it been anyone other than Lord Voldemort who had burst into their home it would have been nothing more than a freak accident brought on by the incompetence of someone who was not accustomed to the force and kickback of using an illegal and otherwise unforgivable curse. But it wasn't just any old dark wizard -no it was the Dark Lord- a man with far too much experience in such nefarious matters such as dark magic.

She put her baby down, and dressed herself thinking that she needed to find her husband, deciding to the downstairs room where she heard the distant mumble of voices; distant and deep. Severus and her father were in heated conversation over something or other, her husband was angry she could tell that and her curiosity was getting the better of her she stood at the top of the staircase, frontally nude and swollen in the breast from feeding and she quickly put on a muggle maternity blouse and a pair of stretchy muggle sweat-pants she had purchased with Nymphadora when she and her sister-in-law had discovered they were expecting at the same time. She heard her husband's soft thundering voice, a laugh coming from her father and Remus saying that Lilly would be happy to hear from them and she came to the top of the stairs.

"Ah there she is!" Remus called happily, "Finally awake!" he called, almond-eyes dancing as he stood to greet her with open arms.

"Morning," she said lamely unable to think of a more exciting greeting due to her long previous thoughts.

As she had suspected, her husband and family were talking animatedly with one another, Remus sipping coffee while her mother laid the table with platters of eggs, bacon, toast with chocolate-raspberry preserve and four steaming mugs of butterbeer. She went back into the room and gathered her son before coming downstairs and hugging her father and brother tightly; nearly being pulled off her feet by her brother. Severus had to smile, he may not be fond of the other two men but the love she had from them was positively infectious as they kissed his son, and his wife he stood next ignoring the eyes on him as he pulled Lilly into his arms and framed her face in his strong yet spindly hands and kissed her full on the mouth; warm and gentle with her lips over his he felt his insides turning to mush as they always did when he kissed his wife and when she deepened it; when she kissed him back he felt his legs turning to jelly.

"Good Lord Severus!" Lilly was pulled out of her drowning sensation, by the sound of her mother's voice, "There are other people in the room you know!"

She had to press her hand on her chest to get her to stop kissing her because if she had let him continue then she feared she might not be able to stop him, "sorry mum." she mumbled blushing.

"I'm not." Severus told her mother coolly, "she is my wife, I will kiss her whenever I damn-well please."

Minerva smiled back at her son-in-law, "That is still my baby," she pointed out, "and I do not wish to see some man inserting his tongue down her throat."

Lilly smiled and felt a bubble of laughter come out of her mouth as the stern Professor Mcgonagall referred to her as her baby and kissed her mother on the cheek only to have her wrap her arms tightly around her and held onto her as if she was afraid she would be taken away. Lilly nuzzled her hearing her snuffle and sniffle, feeling her shake as the tension and excitement of the last couple days drove the stalwart stouthearted woman to tears. Lilly tightened her arms around her and made what she hoped were comforting circles in her back as the unthinkable happened. The strongest woman she had ever known, broke down into deep shuddering sobs as she held onto her daughter; she like Severus wept with pain, love and relief.

"Mummy..." Lilly whispered, "enough with the tears, all we seem to do is cry and sleep as of late." she tried to make her tone gentle and calming as if she were talking to a child.

"That's because we are distraught and exhausted," Remus said calmly, "We almost lost you Little Lilly..." he gave her a baleful sorry look as she kissed her mother's graying hair and he continued, "and you simply cannot imagine the fear mother and father must be feeling to have the two of you show up in the middle of the night having been set-upon by that...that..."

"Monster..." she finished for him.

Remus nodded as her mother let go of her and grabbed him as well holding both the boy and girl she had raised close to her heart and she wept openly not caring a bit for the damage to the proud image she had always kept in place. Lilly did not care, she fully understood why her mother was weeping and clutching her two children for hadn't she been doing the same thing with her son for the past two days. Remus was wrong she knew full-well what her mother was feeling and loved her all the more for it. Loved her for loving her daughter as much as she did but mostly loved her for being a human being, for not being a pillar of strength all the time. Just being a mother who loved and protected her babies, both of which had now seen horrible darkness in their lives; Remus, a werewolf scorned by the world and her daughter, hurt by those who had created her and hunted by a man who would see her dead for a crime she had not committed.

Her thoughts were broken this time by her father's voice, gentle and whimsical in his attempt to comfort her, "There there Minerva," her husband told her, "Everything's all right now."

Lilly did not release her mother as Remus did but instead lead her now snuffling mother over to the sofa where she sat with her allowing herself to be squeezed like a stuffed animal. She turned her emerald eyes to her husband and said, "Severus my mother needs to rest can you do a quick sleeping draft one without dreams would be preferable."

Severus, who had taken the baby from Lilly, nodded and handed the baby to Albus as Minerva protested, "I do _not_ need to sleep," she said pointedly, not wanting to admit how needy she was when her daughter was the one who had the right to be hysterical but she still did not release her.

"Shush mummy," she said holding her close, "it's all right... my husband will make all of this go away." as she finished this sentence, her husband returned and produced a vial of purple potion which she held to her mother's lips.

"Careful," her father said tenderly, "one swallow should do it."

He was right, Minerva offered no further protest and swallowed as Lilly stroked the tendrils of graying dark hair from her face as she drowsed in her arms and tightened her arms around her as Severus now holding his son again took the initiative and laid a blanket on the two of them. Lilly smiled singing to her mother as if she were her daughter and not the other way around. Her poor hysterical mother finally fell asleep still curled around her. Severus held out his arms for his wife and she welcomed it, welcomed her husband as he kissed the top of her head. Minerva smiled at her, or rather smiled in general as she was deep in her dreamless doze by then before settling down, as she wiped the dried trails of tears from her cheeks and kissed the woman who had truly always loved her and the mother who had always been there for her.

"We had better go," Severus told her quietly, "the house-elves will be expecting us tonight."

Lilly nodded reluctantly, "Yes husband," she agreed then turning to her brother and father said, "Let me know how she fairs will you?"

"Of course." Remus said giving her a hug.

She held him for a moment before taking the remainder of her floo powder and stepped into the fire alongside her husband the green flames lapping pleasant warmth around them and caressing her ankles. She blew her family a kiss as little Harry yawned and stretched his tiny arms while her husband muttered quite clearly: 'prince manor' and the three of them went off spiraling into the warm summer night.


	10. Castles in the Stars

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter Ten**

 _Castles in the Stars_

Although it had been bright, early morning when the Snapes had left the warm foyer of the castle Hogwarts and her sleeping mother and worried family, not wanting to go but knowing it was passed time to be getting home so she and Severus could settle down into the routine of things. Not only that but Lilly herself was rather eager to see her new home. She wanted to hang the photos she would summon from her old home -or rather what was left of her old home- and hang them on the walls. Cook in her new kitchen and set about making a proper bedroom for Harrison and maybe even start planning her daughter's bedroom rather than making the two of them share that teeny-tiny room in their flat at Spinner's End. So she had kissed her parents' cheeks, hugged her brother and gone with her husband with the wishes of a safe journey home had stepped away from her family into the awaiting arms of her husband.

Severus, always in tune with his wife had wrapped his arms around her and guided her gently into the hearth where the smell of ashes and the remnants of firewood wafted unpleasantly to her nose. It was a shame because the smell of afterflame was usually one that she enjoyed because it was an odor she normally associated with peace and quiet and comfortable nights where Severus and she would fall asleep after a cuddle, a meal and a good book. Her daughter it would seem did not know what that smell was, did not like it and really did not want it up the nose she shared with her mother. But there was nothing to do other than hold her nose and try not to barf because they had to get home. Flying -by broomstick at least- in this heat was out of the question and muggle airplanes were claustrophobic and too stressful and crowded which is why flying was never recommended to pregnant muggles let alone witches who might lose control of her magic and turn the passengers to frogs.

So they had two options, either to apparate or to go by floo powder. They had gone by way of floo powder because apparating was rather unsettling on the pregnant stomach of a woman no matter how little time she had been in such a state. However this method took much longer than the aforementioned and was decidedly a worse option when it ended, the flames were nice and toasty sure but Merlin the spinning! The spinning was murder on her queasy belly which rolled and pitched, tossing about as if it were an omelette in need of flipping. Which did not bode well for her husband and baby for she vomited all over the two of them which was disgusting enough as it was but with the constant spiraling and whirling made the spew ricochet off the wall and spray back in her face. The sick tasted vial, just awful and her stomach heaved; she did her best to swallow the burning sour fluid her stomach and mouth threatened to reject and spit all over her husband and son.

Contrary to what people thought, it traveling by floo powder was one of the slowest methods of magical travel known to the wizarding world and in actuality took several hours as much as a muggle airplane and when you were pregnant and not feeling well this sort of thing went on and on forever; the whirling and twirling was just awful and she felt herself fall forward into Severus' arms and he held her tight against him anchoring her from the spinning. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else; _anything_ else and felt her mind becoming foggy, and then she heard her husband soothing her far away so far away as she felt the warmth of the glowing neon flames caressing her ankles and shins. It was much more comfortable in his arms and she heard him mumbling some incantation to calm her down, his deep thunderous voice was so soothing. Like the gentle rolling ocean washing over her, diminishing her nausea ever-so-slightly but not enough to calm it to the point of banishment.

Lilly still felt queasy, felt her stomach doing flip-flops, and the food she had eaten was becoming dangerously close to leaving the inside of her stomach and spray her and her family in the face. Something she did not want in the slightest although she was certain her husband would forgive her for it and her baby would merely laugh not understanding the grossness of the situation. Try as she might though her stomach betrayed her; her daughter did not appreciate the whirling and spinning about and she rejected the toast and eggs she had eaten that morning all over the front of her robes and she squeezed her eyes shut so that the regurgitated food did not get into her eyes and she cringed as some of it flew back into her mouth. She spat it out as finally the night sky came swirling into view of her watery eyes and she blinked them into focus as she noticed she was no longer in Scotland but instead in the emerald green hills of the Irish Moors.

Green the same color as her eyes, looked back at her in its own sleepy calm as if to welcome her home as the great walls of an ancient castle loomed directly over them in greeting. It's taupe bricks seemed to glisten in the moonlight and as Severus stepped into the parlor it seemed to groan in acceptance of its master. The house was old, the kind of house with a history. The kind of old house that Lilly imagined had a voice, the deep gravely voice perhaps of a wizened old codger. An elderly gentleman, older it would seem than father time himself sitting imprisoned in the house. Within its stones she imagined him awaiting to tell them all the sordid tales of who lived there before them. How many tales would she discover beneath the marble stones of this ancient castle she now gazed upon while holding her now-screaming infant close as she wiped the soot from his scrunched-up face.

The walkway loomed before her the outdoor fireplace she now stood in seemed small compared to the vast expanse of land before them as two massive doors with a silver crest with a opulent letter P in the center. Surrounding the letter were tiny rubies cut in the shape of roses to frame its emerald stem; it was magnificent and twinkling under the moonlight almost translucent, nearly see-through with how shiny it was. Severus held onto her and went to the front door which had a serpent coiling around the P on the front of the door. It was a sinister looking creature, with onyx eyes and a long coiling body, and long venomous looking fangs poised to strike. The baby, in his natural innocence giggled at the terrible thing and clapped his hands in childish excitement reaching for it to pet. Lilly yelped as it hissed, rattled and snapped, biting meanly at her child who cried and hid his face in her shoulder.

Lilly had never been fond of snakes, as a matter of fact one of the reasons she had not wanted to be in slytherin was because of its mascot. It wasn't anything she had against them per say it was just that well she was a girly girl in some aspects and detested anything scaly or otherwise slimy. One of the reasons she and Severus had often fought was because he had always excelled at potions in school, Lilly had hated it. Although never one to shy away from a challenge, or cower from a dark time, she hated touching anything she deemed to be unpleasant. Which is why she was the doctor who prescribed the potions rather than the potion-man, she tapped the tip of her wand on a runny nose or told them which one to take to cure the mess but she never handled the wetwork if she could help it.

She was not lily-livered or weak-willed nor did she as the former head-girl of Gryffindor house she could handle most unpleasant things in the world, from puking fudge and nasty hexes. But she was just one of those people who hated touching eye of this or liver of that, spores and slime and warts were gross and Professor Slughorn had often worried about her progress or lack thereof. To know now that there was a snake on the door which could now bite her baby was not a good thing and she did not like the look of it. Her husband as usual was the opposite of her, he seemed...rather amused by the mess of a scene; the startled look on her face and her bawling baby boy who had almost gotten his hand torn off in the mouth of the fiendish doorknob.

"Merlin's beard!" Lilly gasped, "How do we get passed that thing?" she asked as she bounced her child to soothe his fears.

"Not to worry my pretty little flower, do not get your petals in a curl." Severus said, kissing her now-glaring wife on the nose.

Sev reached up and stroked the metal creature under the chin in the manor that one would a cat and the snake closed his eyes in slumber uncoiling his tail and allowing Severus to turn the doorknob causing the doors to swing open to reveal a long and opulent great hall. Lilly blinked, eyes the size of cauldrons at the sight of the castle they had just stepped into, all around her were trappings of wealth that she had previously only dreamed of. While she had never been poor by any means, her home at the muggles comfortable enough and her parents home at Godric's Hollow was certainly on the upper-end of middle-class. But this, this was a castle! She held Harry up to the bewitched ceiling which was showing all the constellations and playing a never-ending game of connect the dots on a loop.

He squealed with delight as his hand went up to touch the surface, only to come away with what appeared to be a handful of sparkling silver powder. The toddler laughed again and raised the fistful of whatever-it-was to his mouth before stuffing it in. Lilly shrieked nearly dropping the child as he lit up like a christmas tree, face glowing in transcendent white in the orangish flames of torches which lit the room. Severus caught him and laughed aloud; a sound Lilly had rarely heard in eleven years of knowing him but a sound she had grown to relish and love. Like a rare burst of sunlight peaking through the bleakness of an Azkabanin cell, something rarely seen (or in this case heard) but one cherished when a moment of it happened. He turned giving her a closed-mouth smile as he ran his fingers through his son's hair.

"Stardust." he explained, "It won't hurt him."

"How..." Lilly asked in utter amazement.

He gave her an uncharacteristically boyish grin, "Come on Doctor, I thought you could get this one easy."

She made a face at him, fighting the urge to thwack him in the arm for his teasing, "I was in the house of bravery, not brains you git." she said affectionately.

Severus turned to her and leaned his head down. "you are as brilliant as you are brave my flower." he told her and kissed her as he had never done before.

Lilly was swept into his arms and he kept her there, baby and all resting her arms around him so that his tongue could enter her mouth entirely, her hands went to the back of his head and she anchored herself to her best friend. To the man she loved and she turned her head to fit into the kiss, she heard him moan and she smiled against his lips as she realized now what was going on. He was being the master of his house and showing her the other side to him; the side where he did not have to put on a show for the world. This was Severus, the young man who had first kissed her beneath the stars at the astronomy tower in school in their sixth year at school. The mischievous, handsome, Slytherin boy who was willing to do anything for a moment alone with her, not the death-eater, not the boy who had hurt her that one time when he was angry that she had dated Potter.

This was her Severus, and she loved this side of him as her hands found the collar of his robe Harrison squawked in her arms to remind her of what happened last time she had allowed herself to be too caught up in his embrace. But he would not let her go; he would not release her but instead reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver panflute beginning a lullaby as Ireland slept lazily around them. Lilly snuggled, enjoying the quiet intimate company of a husband she was discovering to be a fascinating individual. She had not known beforehand that he played a muggle instrument or indeed that he did it so well and she watched the swirling ceiling above them as she slid onto the half-open seat beside him and relaxed. Voldemort was gone, there was nothing to disrupt her lazy evenings with her family and in the morning she could have her parents and brother over for a visit if she wished.

But for the moment she would just enjoy tonight, relishing all the love she had felt over the last three days as she felt her tension leave her and she looked to the fireplace which seemed to read her mind and come alight of its own accord. The fire was fragrant and smelled of Jasmine and tea leaves, a soothing blend obviously meant to help to relax the occupants of this room. Lilly made a mental note to put Severus in here regularly and lock him in when his insomnia or nightmares got too much. She looked up frowning at the suddenly dark ceiling wondering where all the stars had gone when all of a sudden a blinding white light flashed above her head and she was blasted in the eyes causing her baby -seated beside her- to wail loudly as the hot light got in his eyes. But then it went dark again, not entirely but dark all the same. Severus stood up and turned down the lights beginning his soothing music again and she leaned on his chest; his heartbeat thudded steadily against her cheek and her body which had not slept naturally since the home-invasion was relaxing more and more.

She felt her eyes drooping, and he stopped breaking her immersion as he jostled her, "Stay awake Flower, watch the ceiling as I play."

Lilly did as she was told and as he resumed she saw the most spectacular things happening above her head. It seemed the characters of the constellations were acting out a great harrowing tale as Orion fought to win the heart of the pure and gentle Virgo. It showed her, a maiden so beautiful, so pure that to look on her would turn even an angel to thoughts of sin. It was said that she, the September maid was so beautiful that those who dared to look upon her naked flesh; her uncovered face was just too perfect to be beheld by human eyes. Only one man had ever been able to gaze unaffected into her dark obsidian eyes, the handsome Orion who wove the stars into a magic belt meant to aline the planets. Lilly smiled as she watched the two of them do a ribbon dance beneath his belt coming together for a kiss before she began laughing and ran away like a playful child.

Orion gave pursuit on the back of a brilliantly white shooting star and he followed the woman he loved, smiling and laughing as he caught up with her to steal another rolled around for a moment in the cloudy blueness of the foggy night for a bit, rolling and wrestling with one another only to be found by the twin bears. Minions of the nefarious Sagittarius who dragged the beauty off into a black hole while she made futile struggles and tried to get back to the fuming lover who now vowed to rescue the fair Virgo maiden from the jaws of the creature. As the minions of the villainous bear took the two starborn lovers to the dungeon (which appeared to be a black hole) Severus slowed his music to show them reaching for her through the bars of his cell. She wept and Lilly choked up with her as the scorpion in true scorpio nature lashed out at them and stung Orion in his foot while the Gemini twins stole his belt and whipped her with it, the Virgo maiden screamed silently in apparent pain as they lashed her. Lilly wanted to turn away but found herself unable to do so, as Severus used his music to tell her the love story she had only heard of in the greatest tragedies.

Here was everything her astronomy teacher had taught them in school playing out right before her eyes and she watched as the character of Orion in a desperate attempt to save the woman he loved sacrificed himself to the wicked Sagittarius centaur who desired the fair maiden for his bride and was jealous of the handsome belt-wearer who had her heart. He trotted toward her, grabbed her up in his arms and tried to steal a kiss from her unwilling lips while she feebly tried to wriggle away from him and reach the man she loved to no avail. Lilly watched the two of them trying desperately to hold hands while their adversaries tore them apart. Tore them and tore them until at last her handsome beloved was stung through the chest by the Scorpio's large, venomous tail. Lilly winced visibly, as the man in the story fell backwards, pain etched in every line of his beautiful face as he fell to the stone floor that would become his deathbed as the creature loomed over him a second time.

Severus let out three staccato notes and the creature advanced on the winded victim beneath it, his love powerless to stop it as the monster pierced his heart and the Virgo let out a silent scream. The wicked centar seemed to whinnie with glee and then the two lovers were left alone to suffer by their captors, alone one last time with the handsome star lord the maiden kissed the man she loved and he died in her arms. Lilly cried openly, feeling the character's pain and wondering why in the world he would choose to show her this when she had just gone through what she had in the past week. Beautiful though it was. His music slowed and then picked up again as she stood and grabbed the mighty belt which her tormentors had carelessly dropped in their spite of him. She sat holding it to her chest as the horse-like creature reappeared and forced her into an unwelcome embrace.

It was in that moment that the maiden decided enough was enough and she took up her lovers belt and she began to pull. She pulled the planets apart further and further creating the solar-system as humanity knew it. As she tore the belt, into 12 pieces she tossed them angrily toward the skies where they were sucked into the heavens and became the year as it was. For though the world of human's believed she was a virgin she was in fact...not. Her son was the one who we -as the mortals he created- called the Lord and master of heaven and earth. God himself had an origin and God himself captured those who had slain his father, hence why Scorpios were always born in November to the cold unfeeling harshness of winter. The Sagittarius who had hurt his father and almost forced himself on his mother was also condemned to preside over the harshness of winter while the master made his gentlest children in the months of February and September.

But his mother, the maiden who only Orion loved had stayed in the stars, looking down at the world and always near the arms of Orion where her heart belonged. And thus was the origin of the world according to the wizarding world and thus the story ended. Severus smiled and wiped her eyes, as Severus put his panflute down and she turned her tear-stained face to look at him and kissed him fully on the lips just because in the dark dim lit firelight the shadows made him look gentle and comforting. She smiled and curled up against him, little Harry was snoring because well he was just one years old and it was half-passed ten in the evening. Lilly kissed him and put him down gently on the carpet as she turned to Severus and laced her fingers through his.

"You never explained the ceiling to me love." she said by way of making conversation.

Severus smiled, "My great grandfather, Perrilious Prince was a great astronomer so he built Prince Manor with no actual roof, using a few simple charms he captured the sky beneath the roof of this place."

She smiled, "what song was that?" she asked as she stared at the now still stars swirling lazily above her head.

"The Origins of the universe, one of my favorites as a child, my mother's too." he smiled, "Grandpa Perrilious showed her this one over and over once he had caught the stars in the roof."

Lilly blinked in amazement, "He _captured_ the stars," she gasped, "but how?"

Severus shook his head, "Bloody hell if I know..." he laughed, "but there you have it my flower. My great grandfather was one of the wizarding word's last star-catchers, and my mother well she loved music and she used to play this magic panflute and tell stories depending on the song the musician chose."

Lilly sat in silence pondering what she had just seen and heard and thought about her children, would one of them be a star catcher? She hoped so, she had read about them in a little known textbook at school called The ancient Wizarding Talents, Star-catching now that she thought of it, was the rarest of the old talents and the idea that Severus was descended from one of them was just another thing she had just figured out about her husband. She found herself reaching down to the carpet to pick up her sleeping son and thought about him reaching up someday to hold onto the starlight use it to tell stories to his little sister. She imagined Harry as the catcher because in the book she had read, it said that only one in five wizards were starcatchers but that they were almost, always better. Although she did not know how it was done -people just assumed that those with the gene did it naturally- knowing there was a possibility of her child being one was exciting.

Lilly sat silent thinking for a moment, when her thoughts were interrupted by a tiny knock at the door and she got up opening the double-doors to reveal an old elf in his servant's garb although his pillowcase was pristine and white and was adorned with the same opulent letter P that she had seen on the door. He had piercing yellow eyes, very cat-like in their way. He said nothing, the mark of a good servant and handed her a white envelope with a muggle postage stamp on it. She took it, thanked him -did not receive any response and opened the envelope. She froze, dropped the envelope as the color drained from her face and she handed it to her husband who read aloud;

 _"You are cordially invited to the wedding of Petunia Rose Evans and Vernon Hugo Dursley on the 23rd of July 1982."_

 **A/N: Yes I monkeyed with the timeline again and yes the Dursleys are coming up next along with a meeting between the Evans and the Dumbledores along with the Snapes.**

 **Please Review**


	11. Visions of the Future

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood:Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter Eleven**

 _Visions of the Future_

*Lilly's Pov*

I stared down at the invitation in my hand with no small amount of trepidation; the words burning into my mind as the frilly pink floral pattern stood out gazing at me in a way which carried not even the subtlest amount of mockery. Petunia was getting married to a man I had never met... not that I had ever expected him to meet with me or see my sister ever again after the night when I had stopped coming home to #2 Privet Drive. Sev had missed me during the summertime but not them, not the Evanses, no I knew for a fact that my father, William had even taken to saying that Petunia was an only child and had disregarded me entirely. I was a well-kept, and well-hidden family secret that no one wanted to own in the normal human world. I was the black sheep and the disgrace of the proper English home my father kept. I had even been left out of my know when my mother had her third and final child, one that my father prized above all else and a sibling I had never met.

The boy, a handsome replica of a man who my father had named William the II was now I assumed was now about school aged give or take a year or two. myself being 20 and him being born when I was nine years old, that would put him around eleven or so if my memory serves. I had not seen him in at least half a decade as he had not come to my wedding being deemed at the age of 9 or seven to be too young to young to appreciate the gravity of a wedding. I had kissed my little brother and then I had gone to my wedding, never to see him again. Although for me to say that I had never met William was a half-truth, a more accurate statement would be that I had not seen the boy since I was living full time with my parents. Before my father had realized that magic was not a condition or fixation that could be stamped out.

He had been about 4 or 5 then, and it had been at least half a decade since I had seen the boy if not a little bit longer. Oh how I had hated him, not because he had done anything in particular to me other than being born. It was just that well he was born and he was normal and her family loved him, Petunia being the oldest had loved my strong handsome normal little brother and his father had never been prouder. He had loved us -Petunia in particular was a daddy's girl- and looked the most like her mother but a boy was a dream of his. A little miniature of himself to mold in his sublime masculine image, carry the Evans name with pride and protect his two silly sisters and damsel-in-distress mother.

I had loved him when he was little, that was until I found out what being the unwanted witch in a family of three children would mean for someone such as myself. You see, my father had not anticipated a third child in his family -as can be seen by the lateness in life of when he had him- with two sister both a decade or more older than him. And eventually as Petunia had hit 15 she had no longer wanted to share her room with her freaky thirteen year old sister. I had been made to give up my room and move in with her because well they needed a room for the unexpected blessing and while I had not minded all that much she certainly had. Petunia had thrown a fit at me and whined to my father that my 'weirdness' was going to get all over her. It was as if my witchdom was some sort of odd incurable infectious disease rather than something to be proud of.

Of course, any rational parent would have realized that talent was not contagious and told Petunia to grow up but my father, the financier, the stiff prim and proper gentleman who was the Lord of his home was not one to ever use rationale. Not only that but dad hated when his favorite daughter was in distress and had blamed me as if I had done something wrong just by being alive and forced -mind you-forced to share the same room with her, because he had decided to have a baby he didn't have room for. But telling him that would have been pointless and when I tried to protest he had grabbed me by the shoulders and told me that I was not supposed to talk back to him before moving me and my things to the cobbaert under the stairs with all my Hogwarts things till the coming term in which I would return to my normal life. That had been the moment I realized that my father hated me, he was disgusted by me; what I had thought he considered my blessing was his own private shame and I had fractured his cookie-cutter life.

He would never admit it of course, for William Cale Evans, banker in the UK, former captain in her majesty's army he had always been a hero to the world. To him, To my dear old Da, appearances were everything which was why he had intended to walk me down the isle a couple years ago. He did not want the world to know that he had otherwise neglected and tormented me as a child. Sent me away to the wizarding world to be raised by other people not out of disgust, but because he loved me, wanted to have the best for his special little girl but I am no fool. I publicly humiliated the man by having my current father walk me down the aisle to the arms of the man my father had told her was absolutely the wrong one for me. Severus was everything my father did not like, he was reserved, odd, overly-formal (something my dad called 'the proxy-royals'; the kind of person that put on heirs and acting above themselves, not that my husband was like that in my eyes.

For my father however, he was the epitome of stuck-up antisocial and taciturn and it drove him mad although it amused me to no end. My mum, she was not fond of Sev but she did not mind the fact that he had nothing to say. She was never one to like idle chitchat either oh sure she would exchange pleasantries. She would ask how one was doing, offer them a biscuit and then talk about the weather. But no more talk then was necessary, come to think of it I married my mother, as she may not like my husband but she was cool, polite and managed some level of civility; albeit a little bit meanly now and again. Come to think of it, it was almost exactly like my husband, which did not really surprise me if I thought of it at any length because although I hate to admit it but I am more like him than her so it only seemed natural that my mate would be like my mother.

I had his hair, his fighting spirit and I will say just a hint of his nasty ginger temper. My father was not a learned man and I believe that was his main issue, he was a thick cockney ballroom brawler worst of all he was a wizard. He was -in my father's mind- the primary reason for the collapse of his nuclear family him and his magic. Nevermind that witches could be born of muggle families and he himself was a squib, he was so ashamed about his own inability to master the magical arts that he had chosen to live in exile in the muggle world with a stenographer and 2.5 kids in a muggle suburb but that was certainly not my fault; he may be unable to do magic but that did not change the fact that his parents might've been and it was a well-known fact- known by anyone with half a brain the size of an average human being- that magic was genetic sometimes recessive and I could have very well gotten it from them.

No use pointing this out to him though, he would hear nothing of it. In fact, the one time I had mentioned that as a doctor the basics of wizarding genetics versus regular human biology he had cast me from the house and said that he never wanted to see me again. It had been a very painful time for me, one that had lead to a short period of depressed drunkenness at the Leaky Cauldron and some few nights weeping in the arms of my love and my guardians. I had of course, always desired my father's love but I was just not a normal enough woman, and Sev thank Merlin had loved every single imperfection that my own father saw as my curse. But though the pain had eased in my heart and I had a loving new family with everything I ever wanted I have never forgotten the banishment from my father's house.

Never forgotten the words my family had used,the three people who were supposed to freak, monster, disgrace, ashamed of me, ashamed of everything I am. How I should be ashamed of myself and hide it, not let the world know what I was; squash it out of me. Make myself ordinary, make myself _ordinary,_ not breed with more people like that so that he would not have a grandchild who was some sort of magical freak like his sainted mother who had always been too busy to give him the time of day. I had to swallow the biting comeback that he was just like her whoever grandma Evans was -she had died before I was born- was nothing less than the magical doppelganger of my father. He was cold, aloof, a work-obsessed fanatic who made money and played favorites with his children. The last part was not the same, as my father was an only child but all the rest was the same way.

He had never been cold to me to that point if not loving he had escalated to the point of abuse yet; but still his rejection had hurt me. It had hurt so badly, I had never believed I would see him again; bloody hell they had not even bothered to find out if I was alive and there was no secret of the attack even in the muggle world. So the question arose why the bloody hell Petunia would invite me to the wedding, probably to rub it in my face, after all it was nothing my sister liked better than a good show off. She loved to be the center of attention, loved to be admired and had good reason for she did work very hard. She had always loved the spotlight, always loved to show me how much better than me she was.

She was prettier than me by English standards, a real English rose, although my mother's inherent blush which she had gotten made her more of a dusty rose but a rose nonetheless. Petunia was blonde, blue-eyed and skinny as a beanpole with a permanent blush, dad had always claimed that she was the pretty one of the two of us, the smarter one of us. If that was not bad enough my wedding had made him mad, because well to be honest I had not wanted that prejudice man walking me down the isle to a wizard if only to make jibes in my ear all the way down to him.

Not that his little snide comments would have made me second guess myself, Severus was the best thing that had ever happened to me, corny though that may sound. But now it was Petunia's turn, and I had an inkling of just the sort of man that she had found. It made me laugh privately to myself now that I thought about it I could just picture the kind of stuffy, boring, militant, no-nonsense, and perfectly ordinary man she had saddled herself with. His name was even boring and official-like, Vernon. Ha! I had a picture of him in my head already, hair perfectly coiffed and straight, he always wore earth tones, blues, blacks, greys or browns. Would not be dead without a briefcase and only drank the finest liquors and his home was his pride.

I imagined the sort of man Sev had onced called a 'suit' who would not be caught dead in blues or greens or god forbid red. No outlandish colors, house proud home and garden sort of fellow. I looked at my castle and had to grin knowing how foolish I must look to the rest of the world who could not hear this long drawn out conversation I was having with myself. It was just that I pictured my sister making me the auntie of a cow if she saw the castle I would be raising my children in. Because true while my home may not win any best-lawn competitions it was not even a mansion but a castle, something my muggle sister could not afford and whoever this man was, if you will forgive me a moment's arrogance I must admit that I do not think this man whomever he may be will ever hold a candle to my Severus however normal and stepford he might be.

I had the image of a man who she was going to marry as being the kind I had (at one time or another) wished I had married; a man who no doubt her father was all pally with. Someone who he would have been considered a proper English gent, one who could burp, belch and swallow whiskey with the best of them; one who would not think of putting on airs around him. The sort of man that he himself had been, one who preferred brutish boys and simple girls and thank god I had not married such a man. Thank God I no longer had to be held to his ridiculous standards of normalcy and with that thought. I felt a measure of peace at the realization that I had no need of that man's approval anymore or needed to care really what he thought of me because I had my father's approval and a brother and a husband and a mom who adored me.

I stood looking down at the tacky,floral invitation and smiled. So, that was her game huh, she wanted a chance to see me and have a good laugh did she? Well she would not get it. I would come to her wedding with my husband, my brother, my parents and my children and she would not have a chance to laugh at me anymore, because I was no longer her sister. I looked at my husband who was sitting on the sofa, little Harry still sleeping at his feet Severus watching my face, worried obviously that the past would come back and strike me in the head; that I would faint or weep at the knowledge. But I merely smiled and sat down next to him as a plan formulated in my mind as I put the invite down and smiled.

"We're not going." Severus told me, "She is not about to humiliate you like that."

"Yes we are," I told him, "we are the ones who was going to humiliate them."

My husband gave me a mischievous grin, gentleman though he may be he was also a Slytherin through and through and he did enjoy a bit of vengeance now and then especially when it was against my sister who he had never been fond of and had come to if not hate than strongly dislike in later years. Truth was, he hated my parents, hardly tolerated my sister and although he had never spent any appreciable amount of time with Little William disliked him on principle because he was going to grow up to be just like them. I had used to become angry with him over his dislike of muggles, then I thought of the types of muggles he had been forced to deal with and decided to cut him some slack. If I had known nothing but an abusive parent and rude neighbors I would have felt the same way. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to rub it in their faces -petty I know- but they deserved it after the way that had treated me because of my wizardry.

"How are we going to do that?" he asked me in a soft voice, one that showed he was fully on-board with whatever I had planned.

"We show up at the wedding dressed to the nines, and show off a little lets see what kind of man Petunia is with." I said, "Because I know my husband is better."

Severus cupped his chin in thought for a moment, "I'll do you one better," he said, a scheming look in his eyes.

"Oh?" I asked wondering what he had in mind.

"What if we showed up and did a memory charm on them made them think the wedding was a disaster." he seemed to actually smile at the thought.

I laughed and smacked his arm gently, "Oh you!"I chuckled, "I'd like that but we can't."even I could not bring myself to crash my sister's wedding -even if she wasn't technically my sister anymore- I still loved her on some level.

"Always so forgiving my flower..." he seemed to smile.

I reached down and picked up my baby boy, just a year old and already so big. I thought about what kind of man he would be and the image was a striking one, handsome and powerful with tall stature my boy would be as brave as his mother was, as soft spoken as his father and as smart as him too. I imagined my boy; with his emerald eyes and dark hair. I imagined my children going to school with one another falling in love with sweethearts basically relive my life. Just then I felt my head jerk back, and a blinding flash of white light as I saw something. I saw something wonderful a vision of my home, my family was there. I was in the maternity ward at St. Mungo's, Severus was holding a two year old Harrison in his arms and the calendar on the wall read April 12th, 1982. I was laying in the bed and both my arms were full...both my arms with two little babies.

Both of them were male, I heard Sev calling to me trying to reach me but it was impossible I could not make my throat work. I knew dumbly what I was seeing the Pregometer had been mistaken I was seeing my twins. But then they were both boys; so where was my daughter. It was just then the vision changed; a nurse -unnamed- brought in a third child with my hair and Severus's eyes. I watched as Severus kissed her, kissed the boys and then me. I smiled the warm atmosphere of this room was something I never wanted to leave. But then I heard something, a horrible cold voice like the hissing of a vicious snake. It was the voice I had heard three nights ago back in my little flat, there could be no mistaking it.

 _"I will have my revenge..."_ and then I felt it, this horrible searing pain in my chest.

Those five words sent the beautiful vision spiraling into blackness as I watched my children all being killed by the Dark Lord and all I could do was watch in horror and scream as I fell to my knees and clutched my burning chest. Severus was holding me close, tightly in his arms and rocked me as the vision ended and I laid there helpless in her arms. The pain in my chest was so bad that I tore my robe open, pulled off my pajama top and heard Severus gasp as he ran trembling fingers over an angry lightning-shaped scar over my heart. It was angry. and a nasty shade of crimson and it hurt so bad.

"Triplets," I wheezed out.

"What?" he stammered out.

"I'm having triplets, two boys and a girl." I told him.

"Are you sure, where did you get that scar?"

"I'm sure...God Severus the visions, so bloody vivid..."

I told him everything and my husband stood up, "we need to see your father..." he said.

"NO!" I said, vehemently, then more calmly, "No, we have a wedding to make."


	12. Promises

Harrison Severus Snape and the magical childhood: Part 1 of the cursed Chronicles Part 1 of 8

 **Chapter Twelve**

 _Promises_

*Severus' POV*

I laid in my bed at Prince Manor that night with my arm wrapped around Lilly's bulging waist and watched the stars whirling above my head while I listened to her snoring. She was sound asleep finally after a long and tiresome day of vomiting, sleeping and preparing for the children she swore we were having but soon she would wake and vomit again. I had not realized that morning sickness could in fact last all day, with Harry she had endured very little sickness if any at all and was mild to say the least. Nothing like this, where she suffered an endless ocean of fatigue while she rode waves of vomiting and aches and pains while she moaned and cried not out of weakness but pure exhaustion and when I held onto her she leaned into my arms and told me that it would be all worth it when the children were here. I prayed she was right, tried to maintain her joy in the endgame of this tireless illness and -I admit- did enjoy the way she needed to be taken care of when it came down to it. It was nice to see my wife needing me for once and as I laid her back down to bed that night I held onto her marveling at the beauty of her and the cheerfulness with which she tackled this mountainous feat.

I admired the way she joked and teased me, spoke in a dreamily wistful voice of the way a house with four children would ring with laughter. How Harry, being the oldest one would be the leader in our family and she could not wait to see the kind of older brother he would make to the others. I tried to smile at her, tried to be very cheerful, to smile and turn on the best supportive face I could for her. But even so, I was unable to entirely hide my exasperated worry over her condition although Lilly had teased me that, 'morning sickness' was what some muggle male called it who could neither get pregnant nor understand the ramifications of a multiple pregnancy on a woman so soon after the birth after her first son. I laughed at her joke, washed her mouth out and put her to bed where she now lay in my arms snoring away; keeping me awake if I was honest but I allowed it as I hated when Lilly was sick. I felt it better to let her rest as I knew soon enough she would be up and ill again and sure enough she was up and ran from the bed to the washroom where she became violently and wretchedly sick.

I watched her as my flower threw up in the toilet for what appeared to be the twentieth time that night and quite possibly the hundredth time that week I went to her and handed her a water-goblet which she gratefully accepted and took a cleansing sip from before spitting the contents into the bowl and flushing moving her auburn hair out of her face and looking at me with that rare helpless expression that I so hated to see from her. My strong flower who had possessed the courage to not only love and redeem a man like me but take on the Dark Lord all by herself. She was not a weak woman, and had at one time and on more than one occasion put me in my place. Both in and out of of school; my wife was no weak-willed child who needed mollycoddling and tending to. Which was why it was so troubling to see her in this state. It was the look she had worn when she was abused as a child and she would cry in my arms, a look I dreaded more than anything else.

It was the kind of expression she had worn when she was eleven and her father had locked her in her room for the night for being unable to control the untrained magic in her blood. It was the sort of 'someone please help me, I don't know what to do and I'm scared' face which never failed to polish the red back into my nearly blackened heart; the look that had turned me from Voldemort and back into that boy she had cared so deeply for. I remember the last time she had given me that look, it had been the best -and worst- day of my life; the day she told me that she loved me. It was the day I was happiest and the day I was most ashamed of myself for what I had become in the name of a father I had never known. I remember that day just like it was yesterday, a chilly January morning when my life had changed forever.

I was a rising Death-Eater, just 18 and earning the name Cobra from my wicked associates for my nasty and venomous potions and Liliana was little more than a distant memory, a painful ache in the back of my heart that I had done my best to wash away with any means necessary. I had assumed naturally that she had married Potter; perfect James Potter with his money and good looks and had all but forgotten the impoverished, dirty Slytherin boy she had used to play with down the street. It was all just as well -at the time I believed at the time that love like all other attachments were little more than a crutch, a bother I simply could not be bothered with. I had I must admit, even convinced myself for the most part that even if she was the love of my life she simply was not worth the trouble and that it was better for all involved if we never saw each other again. Because she deserved better than a poor, fatherless waif like me and I was never going to amount to much good in this life anyhow.

No one had ever told me that I was worth anything, not my peers at school or my stepfather; my mother had told me that I was a bright and spirited boy with a lot of potential but that I was -in affect- a disappointment to her. I must've been, for I have met my older brother and he was truly a beauty with that aristocratic Malfoy beauty. Head boy, top of his class a ministry man, the right hand of the minister all though at the time of my recollection he was still an up-and-coming elected official and just as deep in dark practices as I was albeit more privately. But our mother knew nothing about it and thus was far more proud of him then of me -not that I blamed her for it- but still at the tender age of 18 it actually hurt. It had felt like no one cared about me and I had convinced myself that I did not need to be loved, did not care if anyone cared for me and did not need anyone.

I did not need my mother's love, I did not want what my brother had with his wife; and I could never have the only one I ever loved and I had best put that old surfacing pain in the back of my head. Lilly Evans had been the only real person in my life to see anything good in me, any hope for my future and she could never love me. I was too far gone; too black inside, too poor and not what the good adopted daughter of the headmaster was looking for. The Gryffindor head-girl would never be with someone like me when she could have the golden boy of Gryffindor house. With these thoughts firmly in mind I had made my way toward my destination with Lilly Evans at the bottom of my priority list as I made my way to the cobweb covered cast-iron doors of a little shop with a sinister feeling oozing out the door like a chilling autumn mist.

Although I hated the shop, I had gone down the back-ways of Knockturn Alley in search of some dried venom of scorpion, a rare and illegal ingredient which one could only find in these seedy sorts of places. One I needed for a particularly foul brew when I had seen the object of my lamenting in all her glory through the window and my heart froze. It had to be her in the window of the apothecary's shop, there was no mistaking it. She was talking to a Mr. Irman Wartzplot esquire, an unsavory character to be sure; a half-human fawn with two rather pointy knobs on the sides of his balding head and a goatee not unlike the animal's hanging scruffy and straggled from his buttock-shaped chin. I hated the oaf, he was crude and lecherous and was known to take advantage of women if they did not have the money to pay for the item in question then they could exchange a few favors in the back of a dark room and a quick ten to fifteen minutes of her time.

I knew it was Lilly, it had to be, the crimson and oranges in her hair was unmistakable, oh sure there were many redheads in England but hers had always been unique like spun fire in glass just waiting to melt. There were gingers sure, many of them may even be carrot-tops but she had a unique shade of reddish orange that never failed even then to take my breath away. That and her posture, she always carried herself a certain way, shoulders ramrod-straight, head and chin high but slightly and gracefully tipped as a lady ought to. I stared through the window, unable to help myself, enthralled as I always was with her as creepy as it may appear to those outside of my heart. I am now, was then and always have been helpless where she was concerned and the more I stood there, the longer I allowed myself to gaze at her the more I felt a certain twisting of my stomach and I frowned.

For some reason I did not like the way Wartz was looking at her and I found I could not just go by my own business as was my original intent. I knew for a fact the old goat was known for jacking up his prices on desperate girls, and if the white cloak she wore was any indication than she had indeed become a doctor and was in need of some sort of curing ingredient which was strange and out of the ordinary to say the very least. Probably some fang of viper or a dragon's eye for curing cataracts or something. But I knew this man, he was one of the most disgusting creatures in the wizarding world, as slippery and slimy and -as ugly- as a common garden slug. I did not have to hear the conversation or see Lilly's face to know what was on that thing's mind and it was getting my hackles up. Lilly was mine, well no she wasn't at the time but had I known then what I do now I would not have wasted time glaring through the door and done something about the scene straight away.

She was shaking her head and looked rather nonplussed and somewhat disgusted at that and I felt something; an emotion I had not felt in over a year since I saw her at our Hogwarts graduation. I was jealous, it was boiling and coiling inside me like a poisoned cauldron, horrible, hot and searing and I noticed also that she was alone. My jealousy that the woman I had always wanted was always just beyond my reach was bad enough but the fact that she was alone made me feel slightly ill. The fact that Potter would let her wander about the underbelly of Knockturn alley was sickening, but more than that I was afraid, afraid for her safety and I muttered several very awful words under my breath that had my mother heard me she would have given me a good old Irish clither on the gob. But it seems that my resolve to remain emotionless was futile as I watched her and the fawn, his puss-yellow eyes glinting and he licked his swollen, slobbery lips with blatant sexual intrigue.

It was in that moment I went inside the door and he looked up at me and his eyes widened, at the time I looked like quite an intimidating character. I wore a black cloak with a silver hood and on that hood was the symbol of my name, a massive albino Cobra. Hood fully splayed to show his kingship; magnificent golden markings glinting in the sunlight. I smiled cruelly at him and came behind Lilly who had not noticed my entrance I did the unthinkable; I reached up behind her turned her and did what I always wanted to do, I turned her and lowered my mouth to hers as if I had every right to. I made sure he was watching and Lilly in her surprise gasped which allowed me to enter her mouth and I kissed her deeply as I secretly took the folded up bit of parchment from her hand and then I pulled away to meet the shopkeeper's eyes.

He looked at me the way most people did at that time in my life; with a mixture of fearful admiration and pity; everyone knew what sorts of dark magic Lord Voldemort's supposed son was capable of but everyone also knew -thanks to Dumbledore- of the tragic picked upon boy who was so lonely and desperate for his father's love that he had joined the Death-Eaters just to try to be close to him. Thanks to my now father-in-law, people either feared the mighty and vicious Cobra or pitied the lonely fatherless boy. Thankfully the fawn was not privy to most wizard gossip and so he feared me and so when he saw me kissing her he knew better than to make any further advances on my old childhood friend for fear of pissing me off and causing me to hex the hell out of him and when he met my eyes there was pure terror staring back at me.

"Cobra..." he croaked by way of greeting, "What a pleasure to have you here!"

"Yes, " I said with a false sweetness which held a thinly veiled threat; turning to Lilly I said, "did you get the, " I looked at her paper, "rotten shark tooth I asked you for?"

Lilly appeared to be shocked to see me much less hear me called by my street honorific Lilly said nothing but instead placed tentative fingers to her lips the way a schoolgirl would with her first kiss. I grimaced inwardly, I wanted our first kiss to be romantic -if we had one- but there was nothing for it and besides it had achieved the desired effect; Iram had lost the disgustingly lustful look in his eyes and it had been replaced with one of envy and mild hatred. It was the sort of look I had worn whenever I had seen my childhood bullies at school and they had tortured me; Potter especially who had Lilly in his arms after it all. I _loved_ seeing that look on someone else's face, even if it was fake, even if it was only for one stolen moment made out of necessity; but when Lilly looked up at me I winked at her and she seemed to get it for the old familiar light suddenly appeared across the deep emerald pools of her eyes.

"Yes," she said, handing me a white paper bag and I handed Wartzplot a single galleon in payment as she said, "here you go." and I could tell by eyes that she was in shock.

"Thank you my love," I said, surprised at how the easily the endearment rolled off my tongue, surprised at how right it felt in my mouth.

Then before she could say a word I pulled her out of the shop; and into the street where she stood stock-still and looking positively adorably... _furious._ Her nostrils were flaring her fists were clenching and unclenching in an outward show of anger and aggravation and then she smacked me fully across the face. I froze I had never been struck so by anyone much less a woman who I had just saved from the perverted advances of a half-human creature with more bastards and a reputation blacker than I cared to think about. True I am no hero, indeed quite the opposite but I thought a thank you was at the very least for getting her out of such a terrible predicament. But instead she looked enraged and when her hand zipped across my face and I felt the sharp sting of a slap mark my face and I blinked.

"Severus..." she began in a fuming tone of voice, "I don't know what you thought you were doing back there but _never kiss me again!"_

I was fuming at her ingratitude at my rescue and I snapped back, "very well, next time I will leave you to the mercy of such a man you silly girl."

She smarted, "I _am not_ a silly girl!" she snapped, "and I did not ask for and/or require your assistance!" to prove her point she raised her hand and shoved my shoulder.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest as I noticed just how beautiful she was and is when she stood there before me. My stomach was clenching and unclenching and I felt my heart positively constrict as that old familiar pain from school box my heart around like a heavyweight in the ring. I felt the tender soreness of my cheek, my face stung and for the first time I felt tears coming to my eyes as if I were a little boy being scolded by his mother. I could not help it, damn my traitorous heart; I reached up and framed her face in my hands noticing the deep ocean of her emerald eyes where my heart seemed to dive into. It was helplessly tangled in their algae, hopelessly lost in the waves of pain and love going through my lonely heart. It was as if I was watching a seaweed-filled ocean beneath a crimson horizon as mesmerizing and hypnotic as the actual waters itself.

"Lilly, you have no idea the vile disgusting things that man was thinking..." I whispered dangerously.

"Oh and you do?" she quipped back sarcastically.

For some reason her snarky remark made me smile, "Yes I specialize in legilimency," I told her, "and trust me when I tell you his thoughts were anything but wholesome.

Lilly actually scoffed at me, " and you're a regular choir-boy!" she said rolling her eyes.

Lilly then proceeded to rant at me about how she had heard of the nefarious behaviors of those of us who the rest of the wizarding world dubbed, 'filthy mind-readers' and how I ought to stay the bloody hell out of people's heads and mind my own goddamn business. But I wasn't listening, my eyes were riveted to her mouth and I felt the sudden urge to take her into my arms and hold onto her tight. I did just that actually, and I was surprised that she did not pull away from me. I kissed her again because if she was going to hit me a second time then damn it I had better make it worth my while. She gasped and pulled away from me shoving me hard with much more strength than anyone would have expected of her. I fell backwards from shock and she stood before me, sobbing angrily.

"No..." she cried, and I went to her grabbing her hands as she beat me with her tiny fists, "No, no, no, no, no..." she wept, "You don't have the right to hold me like this! You just disappeared after calling me a mudblood!" she cried.

"I never meant to," I said hardly able to get the words out due to the lump forming in my own throat.

"You walked out of my life!" she screamed, "Not even so much as a goodbye!"

I released her more out of shock than anything else; shock that she felt so strongly about me because I was sure she was happy with Potter by then and not thinking a wit about her old school friend who had vanished from her life. But it seemed my old flower had never ceased to bloom for me, and had never forgotten about me and she did not want and was unimpressed by the cobra. To her I was still Severus, someone she cared for deeply and I had screwed up and I had screwed up royally; never in my life had I ever been more ashamed of what I had become then in that moment when I had to meet her tearful, raging eyes. I spoke only because I had to say something, anything to defend myself from this horrible tirade that the only person I had ever loved -aside from my mother of course- so righteously leveled against me.

"Surely you know the sort of fellow he is," I began carefully, then noting the ring on her finger, "and why in Merlin's name are you wondering about knockturn alley alone; where the deuce is Potter when you need him."

She raised her eyebrows, "Why would James Potter concern himself with the affairs of his former paramore?"

"Former," I echoed, "But your ring..."

She raised a crimson eyebrow even higher,"Sev, I love you so much but you really are a stupid _git."_ she told me, "YOU gave me this ring when we met years ago..."

I looked down at her hand again and noticed she was right, it was indeed the fough-pearl I had given her as a child...she loved me, she had said it out loud and she wore my ring. I saw her come closer to where I sat -having fallen on my arse when she shoved me and not bothered to stand again- she took my hand and pulled me to my feet nuzzling me. I sniffled in a very childish fashion as I felt her arms wrap around me and her lips kiss my heart in an open-mouthed passionate kiss that she made no secret to hide. I felt her tears soaking my cloak and was grateful that it was black because it was bad enough to have to hear her crying and feel the wetness of it without having a constant visual reminder.

"Lilly I-" I began but she cut me off.

"You have no idea how worried I have been Severus," she sobbed, "I keep hearing these horrible things about the Cobra, the way you torture people and make these brews... Merlin help me, I kept praying to god that it wasn't true...that it couldn't be you doing such **awful** things but to see you dressed like this." she tailed off weeping and I hung my head in shame.

"Lilly he's my father..." I tried to explain, for at the time I truly believed he was and she looked at me seriously and framed my face in her tender hands.

"I don't care who he is to you, " she told me firmly, " Severus please for my sake stop following him before I truly lose you forever." she pleaded and then she kissed me.

Time froze for me when her tongue entered my mouth and I cupped the back of her head with utter tenderness she drew me close, dropped my hood and ran her fingers through my hair and I held onto her there for a long moment. "OK Lilly, I will, shhh, don't cry, I won't leave you again I promise..."

"Never?" she queried in a childlike voice.

"Never, ever." I confirmed and kissed the top of her head.

I had promised her then more than just a changed man, I had promised her my heart and I had given her that tenfold but now that I was holding her in our bed with her back asleep the way she had been I realized just how fragile my wife could be sometimes and how much she needed me. She needed me as much as I needed her, and when we arrived in the muggle world for her sisters wedding on the morrow I would be there for her. The muggles would not humiliate her in my presence and she would see just how and I would show her that I took my promises very seriously. She was safe, our children were safe and as I rose from the bed I heard her whimpering with another nightmare. I got up and went to the cellar where I began to work. I had to make something to ease this mess for her, had to help her rest and make sure she kept something down because she really should not be losing anymore weight.

I mixed quicksand with a little powdered leaf of lamb's-ear to give her swift comfort and warmth, a sense of softness would slowly settle over her and make her relax. I then added a single drop of grape pulp to encourage sleepiness and then a little bit of starlight to cause pleasant dreams. The final ingredient I added to it was a spoonful of blackberry jam just to sweeten it and make it go down easier. Then just to make sure to cover all my bases I added an extra ingredient, some powdered ginger-root to stop the nausea and vomiting. I turned it counter-clockwise and it smoked and smelled sweet as I went back to my room where Lilly was now sitting upright in bed, rocking herself as shaking tears ran down her face. I said nothing simply turned on the light and sat on the side of the bed drawing her close to me and letting her sob for a moment because honestly she was so sick and tired that it was only natural to cry when she was in such a condition.

"Sev..." she sobbed, "He came back," she nuzzled me and held onto me tightly, "He killed you-and the children and- god I am so tired!" she nearly whimpered.

"Flower, do you trust me?" I asked as gently as I could and she nodded without looking at me. I took out the coffee-mug something I found far less intimidating than a wizard's goblet and held it to her mouth whispering, "drink this for me."

She swallowed helplessly and laid against me, soft and warm as she was I prayed the quicksand acted quickly and sent her into a deep and peaceful sleep as I felt her yawn widely against me and the heat of her breath blowing over my blue pinstripe pajamas that she had given me for Christmas. I held her close as I felt a tightness in her body evaporating faster than cheap tea in a boiling kettle. Mayhap I over-judged the amount of quicksand I put into my potion but either way it was making her fall asleep fast. I counted in my head, _five...four...three...two..._ then I heard a deep hollow rumble from my wife; from inside the deep hollow of her chest. It was a snore so deep that it caused her entire torso to vibrate and I laid her down in the bed again to see her mouth wet and wide-open as obliviously, she drooled all over herself.

I rose to get a handkerchief to wipe her mouth with but I felt her grab my arm and when I looked down she was nesting on me and mumbled, "Sev, please don't leave me..."

I smiled unable to refuse her anything I whispered, "I am here Lilly ,I promised you then and I promise you now, I am never going to leave you."

With that being said I laid down beside her as her brief breakout from the potion's effects faded and she began to snore again rolling over into my arms and squeezing me tight. I wiped her leaking away with the back of my sleeve and kissed her head feeling my own fatigue from supporting her through this. The wedding was on Saturday and today was Wednesday, tomorrow we would have to go shopping for clothing and dress our son for the big event. But right now I lifted her mug to my lips and drained the last two mouthfuls and instantly I felt dizzy, yep definitely too much quicksand I felt myself slipping fast into sleep. I tipped my wife's open mouth up to my lips and gave her a tender kiss waking her up just long enough to return the gesture before we both spiraled back into a deep blackening sleep. We were safe, we were home and I...

Had kept my Promises.


	13. Meet the Evanses

Harrison Severus Snape and the magical childhood: Part 1 of the cursed Chronicles Part 1 of 8

 **Chapter 13**

 _Meet the Evanses_

When the Snapes woke the next morning, Lilly was in a much better mood finally gotten a proper night's sleep she dressed quickly looking at a rather cheeky mirror which was apparently jinxed to cat-call any female who looked into it for longer than a moment. She stretched; her aching back popped evenly under the pressure of her pregnancy and she groaned aloud waking her drowsing husband from his morning lie-in and he sat up. The comforter which he kept around them both last night slipping from his shoulders down to his waist to reveal his bear chest. She guessed that she had thrown up on him and he had just chucked his top into the laundry without bothering to get another one; that did not however keep the blush from staining her cheeks. He seemed to smile at her teasingly and pushed the blanket back more and standing up he came behind her and kissed her on the neck placing his hand over her belly. She squared her shoulders and went to her wardrobe taking out her dress smiling briefly at the slight blush that colored his cheeks.

It was amazing to her that a death-eater with a reputation for creating the nastiest brews and torturing people could be made to blush at the sight of her dressing. The sight of him made her giggle and she had to kiss him for it because he looked so innocent and so approachable. She turned and kissed him feeling his lips pressing her more force, with a more pressure he deepened it, feeling his children's legs and bodies as they rolled about in excitement for what was to come. Although Lilly was not at all happy about returning to the muggle world seeing a sister and brother that she no longer knew all that well and had no desire to see if she was honest with herself. But then this would be the last time she ever saw them, kind of like a last send off to the life and world she left behind. The world of muggles and wholesome English gardens where everything was done by hand and everything was as cookie-cutter as it should be.

The world where she had never truly belonged in, her older sister's world and it was only fitting that she was moving right next-door to her parents. Lilly sighed feeling a pang of some unnamed emotion as she thought of the Evanses, no longer as mum and dad but as Petunia's parents. After her wedding the four of them would get what they always wanted, their happy normal English family without her in it. But before she closed that door forever; and left her life behind she was going to make them pay for every hurt and every moment they had scorned her magic. Not at the wedding no -she had more manners than that- but she would know when the time was right and she would have the perfect -if somewhat painful- revenge. After all, Lady or not there were indeed a great number of scores which needed to be settled and as such she was going to give her dear ex-sister and her new husband something to remember and it was not going to be pretty; oh no, it was going to be something these muggles who had mistreated her would never forget.

Lilly hid a private smile to myself as she thought about what she was planning unbeknownst to Severus. She tucked her white pearly wand up her sleeve and chuckled inwardly; her eyes as keen as his own usually were. It seemed that being married to the Cobra had rubbed off on her just the tiniest bit and she grinned at the thought of causing just a little bit of mischief. Even a Gryffindor needed to have a little fun now and then and she would make this a wedding they never forgot. She looked over at the bedroom they had chosen for Harry and thought of the small boy almost murdered in the night. No word from the family who had born her, it was as if they did not even care that she had been attacked which was more than likely. For some reason this hurt her, new family or not for her own _blood_ to have so little regard for her life that they had not even bothered to telephone or even write just really stung.

After all this wizard was not particular when it came to who he chose to kill, victims were victims and everyone of them made him feel just as powerful as the last. Muggle or not the man had been all over both newscasts for he had killed people indiscriminately. No matter who it was; anyone that got in his way was as good as dead, Lord Voldemort had possessed no mercy for women, children or anyone else. Yet not a word had been asked about whether their child was okay or even Lilly herself. Somewhere in the back of her mind she had hoped against hope; that her mother had some depth of maternal feeling inside her, that her father had remembered even in that deep secret place in his heart that he loved her at one time or another. She had hoped her father would remember that before his son there had been her who he had been proud of; she had been made in his image. He had loved her once as much if not more than he loved Petunia, his perfect little red rose he used to call her

Lilly had hoped that in the back of his mind he had loved her enough to at least care whether she was alive or dead but it was of no use. He did not care and neither did anyone else, not in the muggle world at least. Hell they probably were entirely unaware that But that mattered very very little at this point whether they loved her and her family or not and she sighed as she felt Severus zip the dress and place a kiss squarely between the bridge of her shoulders before smoothing his hand along the back of her neck. She closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath as she prepared to dress for the moment she would see the family who hated her again. Not a very pleasant thought to be sure, her only comfort was that this would be the last time she ever saw them if she could help it. She had no idea why Petunia had invited her to the wedding but she could guess it was another one of her tactics to show off.

Not that there was anything very much wrong with a bride showing off -she had certainly shown off herself when she had married Severus- but it was not the normal kind. She had turned round and round in her white dress and gushed over Severus and done the whole bride thing too but it wasn't malicious the way Petunia's would be. Lilly had a sneaking suspicion that she had invited her merely to show the groom what a freak she was; parade her around where her friends would make their snide little remarks and digs about anything from her hair to her ugly algae-colored eyes. Not that this was anything new, it was something they had always done; but that did not mean it was any easier to listen to. What Petunia did was far beyond simple sibling rivalry, what she did was just down-right cruel and when Lilly thought of her own family she hoped Harry would not be that way with his own siblings.

Although to Lilly it was hard to imagine her own son acting the way his aunt had with her; it was hard to imagine little Harry bullying anyone when he was in his crib still sleeping and peaceful. She hated to wake him, hated that his dreams would be so rudely interrupted; but she had to. Because today was the day they were going back to the muggle world. Severus had taken her to one of the downtown boutiques in London where they had purchased a beautiful emerald dress which really showed off her belly. Severus had advised against her wearing something like that, her pregnancy was not something her muggle family would appreciate. Lilly had laughed him off, kissed his cheek and told him that she was proud to be his wife and pregnant with their ever growing family, that as a matter of fact she wanted at least six more children and if her family did not like it then they could bloody well get over themselves.

She placed her hands on her belly and told him that if he did not stop fussing she would start to shout that she was happily married and pregnant in the streets of England for the entire country to hear. This had made him hush and she had kissed him and held him close to her for a long moment, her melancholy thoughts seemed to evaporate and she slumped a little as he rubbed her back now fully dressed and handsome in a tan muggle suit which made his onyx eyes really shimmer like polished stones. He had gotten Harry now fussing from his crib and she took him in her arms holding her child close to her for a moment and the child instantly quieted upon sensing both his parents in the room; the comforting aura of his family quieting his protests.

He looked up at them her own eyes reflected in the Lilly smiled at him, her perfect little child with his dark hair and green eyes, she smoothed his hair and ran her lips over his head in a feather-light string of kisses stopping over the scar which now marred his perfect innocent face and Lilly felt tears coming which she tried to push back. But the roughness of the bumpy skin beneath his lips made her eyes water painfully and the Gryffindor in her; the mighty lioness she had been raised to be; became a declawed and frightened cat. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, fighting back the pressure of tears when they threatened to come, she would not let Severus see how weak she really was, how helpless and unloved she felt when she had no more reason to feel that way. She had a new family, a loving husband and an ever-growing brood she had what every woman wanted and she knew she ought to be happy but the looming doom of it all made her feel a sense of foreboding.

A sense of impending doom which the lioness in her, when at her full strength would face-down proudly with a mighty roar but right now she wanted to run and hide from it. Lilly knew she could never tell Severus that she was scared to face them because she needed to. So she squared her shoulders and rallied her courage as her mother would have wont her to do and she slipped her fingers through Severus' as she carried her son down to the Royal railway station; the three of them appearing as normal and ordinary as any of the other well-dressed muggles crowding the platform. The whistle hollered the arrival of the train and they got into the private car Sev had rented for them. He knew it would be a long and tiresome trip to go this way and also knew that in her condition; being in a crowded train was probably not the best thing for her. So they boarded the train and s

Lilly tried to hide the sleepiness that had always come to her when riding in muggle vehicles as she let out a tremendous yawn which reminded her husband of a bear. She offered him a smile by way of apology and nestled against his shoulder gazing down at her baby who had taken a sudden and immense interest in the number pf toes he possessed on each of his own feet. Lilly smiled and felt Severus rest his own head atop her own the deep rumble of his quiet laughter as he watched the child discover the wonders of his own anatomy. Lilly offered a small sleepy smile and rubbed her cheek on his chest as they silently watched the day turn brighter in the afternoon. Daydreaming of running through the rolling field passing by, or simply laying in the grass beside her husband making animals out of clouds...kissing him while he toasted her with honeysuckle vines and let his long black hair cover her lap as she did in the years before all this.

She remembered the way she would lie there, nestled in his arms as the warm English sun caressed her face and she felt her eyes slipping closed. She was not asleep no, just resting her head for a moment as she drifted back in time. Back to then when she hadn't a care in the world where she was a young girl in love; smiling as he placed an emerald ring on her left hand in a promise of forever. If she concentrated hard enough, Lilly found that she could feel the way his stubble-roughened chin felt when he nuzzled it over the top of her head, the smell of cologne and shampoo teasing her nostrils as she closed her eyes and kissed his heart, At some point, her daydreams must've become real ones because as the train jolted to a halt her eyes opened onto evening darkness.

Lilly cleared her throat - which was scratchy from apparent snoring- and could not help but smile as she looked over at her family sleeping beside her all warm and cozy, comfortable in one another's arms. Little Harry was sucking his thumb and curled up on her husband's chest while Severus snored softly, childish gurgles that made her heart swell with a sudden tenderness. The cobra slept and protected his young. She reached over and stroked the long locks of wavy hair from his face; causing him to grunt and turn his head away from the disturbance while she reached into his breast pocket and took out his watch to check the time. It said that it was just passed six in the in the evening and when Lilly peered into the soft blue twilight she knew without question where she was.

"Nearly there." she whispered after some time, peering out the window at the sleepy little suburb of little winging appearing on the horizon with its perfect smatterings of patchwork rooftops and plaid earth-tone chimneys jutting out toward the sky.

"Hmm?" Severus asked in his sleep.

"Nothing dearest," Lilly said kissing him.

He woke at the contact and deepened it as he always did when she woke him with a kiss and he cupped the back of her head and sat up, the baby amazingly enough did not wake as his father sat up and remained snoring much the way his mother had been. Severus tucked his hand underneath her sunset hair and placed his sleeping son on the bench beside them. He kissed her deeply, ardently, assuaging her fears and allaying her worries in the way only he could. His long nimble fingers ran lightly through her hair his other hand came to rest peacefully on her belly where her little ones rested, no longer feeling the need to kick. Probably asleep as babies ought to be at this hour, something for which Lilly was very thankful. Severus pulled her close against him, his black eyes bright with adoration as the train whistled to a screeching halt in the Feather-line train station, just a stone's throw from the perfect muggle family who had cast her aside.

Lifting Harry off the train she checked her husband's pocket-watch again, seven p.m. right on scheduled to have dinner with her sister and family and meet the fiance her sister was to marry in the morning. Just the way they had done when, still her mother and father, she had brought Severus over the night before her own wedding day and what a disaster that had been! It had been awkward and painful to sit through the meal with her father making condescending remarks about the magic which ran in both of their blood and could be of little more help than had she been born with a disability. That had not stopped mom and dad however, especially dad, who made his apparent dislike, no not dislike, _hatred_ of Sev and all that he stood for more than known to her family.

Her mother had said nothing at all as was her way and the night had ended with her begging her husband not to break up with her right there on the spot. He had assured her, that under no circumstances was he even considering the prospect of a breakup just because those muggles and that squib didn't like him. Then he had kissed her and told her that he would see her in the morning, and admonished her to remember that sometimes family could be rough or hard to deal with but that they loved her just like he did. Lilly had been unconvinced and that was why she had asked her guardians to help her with the wedding rather than her parents, although back then she had still loved them on some level and from the hurt and rejection she had seen in their eyes, had believed that they had loved her on some level.

Even so, engagement dinners with William and Daisy Evans had been barely tolerable before the incident with Voldemort, but now that she knew just how little they cared for her -if they did at all- and so the prospect of facing them would be a daunting one. But looking at her husband, sleepy but still right by her side made her feel a little better and so she took a deep breath and admitted the one thing which she hated that she felt the most, she was terrified. Terrified of the pain and hurt she was feeling over people who did not deserve her pain but had it nonetheless and she despised the quiet, shuddering sob which escaped her and the pressure of tears behind her eyes. Tears were something Lilly had always hated, in fact she hated crying above anything else in the world and even more than that, she hated crying _in front of people_ most of all.

Severus turned to look at her, a look of concern all over his otherwise implacable face as her heard the sob she was working so hard to hide, "What is it?"he asked her giving her hand a squeeze.

"Oh, it's nothing Sev," she whispered, in a voice far too timid for her liking, "it's just..."

"Yes Flower?" was his soft reply.

"I'm scared," she admitted, and hated herself for it.

He turned to face her, his obsidian eyes luminescent in the orange glow of the streetlamp and he framed his face with his firm cold hands, cool on her warm face. His hands were always cold, it was something she loved about him as strange as it was -warm heart and cool steady hands- and he laid several kisses across her forehead. Severus always knew what she needed and had since she was a small lonesome child and he put his strong spindly arms around her knowing what seeing her former family meant to her. They stayed like that for a moment, their son still sleeping in between them enjoying the sudden warmth of their combined bodies as a tiny smile curved his soft baby lips. He kissed her then as if he had never kissed her before, it was such a thorough kiss that her toes felt it but when he pulled back, she was standing before the door of her parents home.

She gave him a small smile as she realized that kiss had been a distraction as he had apperated to the door of the little suburban home where he gave the wood three sharp wraps with his knuckles as was his way. She heard her mother, in her shrill primness announce that she was coming and to give her half-a-moment, Lilly gulped and grabbed Severus's hand quickly before the blue-eyed, rouge-spattered pencil-necked visage of her mother appeared in the doorway. In her floral party dress with that ugly beige Susie-homemaker apron she always wore when she was entertaining guests who she deemed of some importance. Lilly could hear Petunia laughing (or rather squawking) along to some man who sounded like a nasally toad in Lilly's opinion.

Oh this was going to be one hell of a night!

"Hi...mum..." she said slowly.

"Liliana..." she said dryly, "and the whole brigade," she continued taking note of her husband and baby at her side.

"Mrs. Evans," Severus drawled lazily, "what a _pleasure to see you again..."_

"Likewise," seethed Daisy in a voice that oozed false-politeness, "Won't the three of you come in?"

Severus reached down with hand with his free arm and grabbed her hand as he went into the room, the bright cheeriness of the room nauseating him and blinding her. Her mother had decorated the room in petunias of every single color she could think of. There was a bright white banner with _congratulations, Petunia and Vernon_ hanging over the mantle where the family, William, Petunia, a man (supposedly Vernon) and her brother, little William sat about laughing and joking and sounding just like her father. Lilly felt her heart break at the sight of the happy family in front of her. The family she was born into but would never be apart of, she felt so out of place, so alone with her family,like an alien from another world. The silence so horribly awkward that one could cut it with the dull edge of a butter knife, the voices and the merriment seemed to stop when the trio entered the room and the cheery congratulation hanging above them mocked her openly.

There had been a banner for Lilly and Severus but there has been black with nothing but white lilies around as if it was something to be mourned that she and Severus were marrying rather than a cause of celebration. Her family had not set about the table laughing and celebrating with them as she noticed the teeny baby bump swelling in her older sister's belly and the proud glow in her mother's face. So that was why her sister was getting married, the goody-two-shoes was pregnant out of wedlock, Lilly looked at her and found herself smiling grimly. Not once had her mother even acknowledged Harry, but her prim and proper catholic mother was positively beaming at the sight of her sister's illegitimate child. It made her blood boil and she felt her fist clench in aggravation.

The man on the couch spoke up, "Who the blazes are you?" he belched, dropping the ham-bone clutched in his grubby fist.

"Lilly," her father told him standing up, "Still alive I see..."

William Evans stood up and approached her, his doppelganger, his youngest daughter the child who he had rejected, the child he had lost and she saw nothing there. Not even the slightest flicker of paternal feeling warmed his green eyes, and he did not hug her or smile at her arrival. He instead took note of her belly and shook his head in apparent disapproval of her current state of gestation before returning to his chair and kissing Petunia on the forehead and patting her pregnant stomach with slow simpering affection meant to torment the woman in front of him. And God help her, it worked. Lilly felt her eyes watering as he fawned over her sister and ignored her, that old childhood pain rising up in her heart as her husband -bless him- came to her defense.

"Yes she is," he sneered, "No thanks to you."

Just then her mother broke her rule by speaking, "Yes, well we have other things to worry about then some _Moldywarts_ character," she snapped.

" **Voldemort.** " Lilly corrected seriously, "and I'll have you know I was almost killed!"

"Yes well," Petunia chimed in, "Mum and dad had more important things to worry about."

"More important-" Lilly sputtered, "what could POSSIBLY be MORE IMPORTANT to mum and dad then my life!"

"My wedding," said Petunia as if it should be obvious, "the birth of their first grandson..."

Now _that_ was more than she could take!

"Their first- _what the **bloody hell**_ is Harry then!" she shouted, "garbage? What am I just some freak to be hidden away?!"

"Yes," her little brother answered in a voice so calm it was actually frightening, "Mum and dad told me all about their daughter the witch, and you know what, the Americans had the right idea about what to do with people like you."

Lilly went pale as a ghost but Severus, having never taken a muggle history class looked confused and asked in a deathly warning tone, "And what my dear boy...was their idea?"

"Burn them at the stake, drown them, in other words...exterminate them." he said and Lilly took her now wailing son from her husband and held him close, all the fighting had woken him up and the thought of something burning her child was causing the trauma she had faced to surface and she clutched her child over the baby bump in her stomach.

"Quite right," said the fat toad man, "I mean look at that child, he even looks like a freak! Look at this birthmark!"

Lilly backed away from the man as he came forward snatching his would-be nephew from his mother's arms and held the now screeching child at arms length as he showed everyone the horrible lightning shaped scar on his forehead and the child screamed as the stranger held him in the air and Severus was on his feet in a flash plucking the infant from the fat muggle's arms and tried to shush him while Lilly unable to hide her pain anymore fell onto her knees before the people who were supposed to love her the most of anyone in the world met her not with love but with revulsion and blame. The same way they always had and now, Lilly realized the way they always would. These people did not view her as family or even as human, to them she was little more than a freak, a sideshow attraction and something to be destroyed.

The Evans family was just how Severus remembered them, cruel and nasty to the poor girl whose uniqueness was something they simply could not understand. Severus placed Harry back in the armchair where the child whimpered and chewed on his stuffed owl for comfort; clearly distressed from all the commotion and the lateness of the hour to which his biological clock protested. But neither one of his parents took very much notice, Severus was fuming and doing his absolute best to keep his temperature in check and the bullying had finally got to Lilly who was now in floods of tears unable to hide the effect that these terrible people had on her. Severus could no longer stand watching his wife on her knees and bent down pulling her her feet, though she still hung her head, unable to meet their judgmental eyes as she wept.

"It's not a birthmark," sobbed the poor woman, "that sort of mark only comes from being touched by a wicked and deadly curse..."

"Serves you right!" Daisy chimed in, "Marry _that_ sort of man and that is what you get. Had you put this silly magical foolishness behind you like I told you to, you could be married to someone _decent._ Like Tuny's Vernon here!"

"Here, here!" the man called Vernon chimed in, "I'm an **_executive_ ,**" he gloated, "I make _six figures!"_

 _"_ At least Lilly is not a whore, " Severus growled.

"I beg your pardon?" Petunia seemed to have lost her natural pinkness and gone a rather chalky shade of white.

"You heard me..." he whispered harshly, "Tell me my dear Petunia, you are how many months along?"

She had the decency to look embarrassed at the very least, "four months." she mumbled.

"And the wedding is tomorrow? My, My, Petunia never pictured you as the kind who sleeps her way to the top!" he joked and Lilly had to smile, thanking Merlin for her husband's ability to shut these people up so efficiently.

"I did not!" she fumed.

But Severus continued as though she hadn't interrupted him, "I on the other hand love Lilly and always have, but then I can't really fault you Tuny , an ugly girl like you has to take what she can get even if he does look like a pig in a toupee. An ugly couple and a miserable one, I say you two are perfect for one another."

"Why you!" Vernon shouted charging him and Severus easily sidestepped out of the way causing him to trip over the coffee table and smash it to smithereens before rolling around and groaning that he was unable to get up.

Lilly unable to take anymore drama asked the question on everyone's mind at last, "why did you bring me here?"

"Because mother made me!" Petunia whined like a petulant brat as she dragged her whimpering husband-to-be to his feet, "She said it was proper manners to invite all of the family even the ones we don't like!"

Lilly nodded dumbly, "I see, " she mumbled, "We should be going its getting late and I am pregnant and the baby needs his rest."

"Stay the night," Daisy offered strictly out of courtesy but Lilly refused not missing the look of relief which crossed her sister's face.

"Good riddance!" she called and Severus had enough.

"That's it!" he shouted and pulling out his wand called out a spell which no one caught.

Vernon Dursley screamed as his nose began to morph into a long ugly pig snout and he began to squeal and squirm as his ears were turned into a pigs and soon he was weeing like the animal Snape had made him. Lilly could not help the laughter that rose in her throat as her former and soon to be brother-in-law began to smash her mother's sitting room furniture in a panic, laughing as Severus swept her up into his arms and spirited her off into the early evening night. They checked into a hotel where the friendly clerk told them what a cute baby they had and offered them the family suite which he told them had a crib for the 'little guy.' Lilly took her son upstairs and laid him down where he slept with a simple little charm she had learned her first day at St. Mungo's used on fussy infants.

She allowed Severus to hold her for a long moment and she finished the cry which she had begun in the house, allowed him to kiss her, undress her and caress her. Finding comfort in the way only her husband could give her, with strong arms and tender hands. His loving kisses drank her tears and soothed the hurt in her heart as she tried to not think about the wedding tomorrow. Tomorrow, what a day that was going to be, she was going to make them pay for tonight and it was going to be a night she herself would never forget. Tomorrow she would be Lilly Sunshine Evans, for the very last time.


	14. Two Weddings and A Magic Spell Part I

Harrison Severus Snape and the magical childhood: 1 of the cursed Chronicles Part 1 of 8

 **Chapter 14**

 _Two Weddings and A Magic Spell Part I_

Lilly lay curled in Severus' arms, her face in his chest and his nose buried snugly in her hair as he slept all warm and comfortable against the length of her body. She sighed, not wishing to move from the haven of love and protection she had in his embrace, thankful that her baby boy seemed to know she needed a little attention and remained quiet for the present time. Lilly blinked her heavy eyes which ached from crying over the disaster of her family reunion, she could not believe her family cared so little about Harry when a mass-murderer had come and tried to obliterate them she had said that she deserved this because of the man she had married. As if her falling in love was some sort of crime which deserved the ultimate punishment. Especially her father who had given her the magical blood to begin with, allowing them to call her such things as freak and telling her that the attack was her own fault.

This was the man who was supposed to cherish her, love her and protect her above any other man in the world. If her husband or some outside man broke her heart then he was supposed to be the one to get his ruddy shotgun and blow their blasted heads open in the name of her honor. His words, his cavalier tone when noting that she was alive still rang loud and hard in her head and on the way to her hotel the pain which those words caused hit her and resonated like a crushing blow to her heart. She had cried on the way to the hotel and Severus had held her close as she felt -not for the first time- like a simpering idiot when in the back of her mind she knew very well that she should've expected this from them but still Severus had let her cry telling her that he loved her and it did not matter what those jack-offs thought of her because they were no longer her family in any case.

Lilly, knowing he was right but feeling the pain nonetheless had held onto him and begged him not to ever do that to their own daughter even if she was a squib. He had kissed her and promised her that he loved her and her kids more than anything and that he would never do that to her or any children he had the good fortune to receive from her. He then kissed her, made love to her and he -God bless the poor man- was so tired from everything that had gone on recently that he fell into a dead sleep still inside her right afterwards with his face still buried in her ample bosom. She had slept a little bit with his warmth on top of her but was woken up in the dead of night when he, trying to find comfort rolled off her and onto his side with a loud snore only to drag her back against him.

She looked at the digital clock on the nightstand, its red LED numbers mocking her as it said, 2:30 am. Unable to fall back asleep she just lay there staring blankly at the cracks in the ceiling as she contemplated -yet again- the events of the night before. What a waste of time that had been, to stand there, at dinner (which they had not been offered by the way) to be put on display for the five of them as if she were some hired entertainment from the middle ages. The sort to be strapped to a wheel and have vegetables tossed at them for their own amusement. She had cried for a long time when he took her back to the hotel, crying and holding him close as she realized they had truly not cared whether she was alive or dead, that they had been called there simply because of her mother's primness and inability to be rude.

At least not when she wasn't in front of her, face-to-face was another matter entirely it would seem. Though her mother never spoke when they had company before (she was the sort of woman who believed herself an accessory to her husband and was best seen and not heard) this time she and Petunia had broken all their rules. Her mother had three rules which she had hammered into them growing up -well more like hammered into Petunia- it seemed to never stick with Lilly much to her mother's annoyance and dismay. Number one was that a wife must always be pretty for her husband, no matter what, she must always look her best and make her husband proud that he married her. It did not matter how she was feeling at the moment, it was a wife's job to be the perfect accessory to her man, to give him the perfect family. She was not his friend he was her master, that did not mean however that he should hurt her, no it simply meant that she should earn his affection by doing what he wanted when he wanted her to do it. If a good woman wanted to keep a good man, she should keep him happy, keep his life as idyllic as she could at any costs.

In return he would love, cherish and protect her, keep her safe and spoiled in his home where he would fill her belly with the children who would carry his name. Daisy's second rule for a happy life was that the woman should never leave unless under the most extreme circumstances. if he hit or struck her of course then she had the right to leave, but verbal or emotional abuse was a gray area for her mother. Lilly remembered being told as a child that, these rules (the first and second) worked in tandem and if a woman was unattractive to her man for any reason she should do her best to fix it, that if he called her fat or criticized her cooking in some way she should take it as a compliment. Much like a manager giving a constructive criticism, verbal abuse was non-existent to her pretty French mama who had married the abrupt Englishman who kept her like a spoiled pet in his pretty little house.

But both of these things were not as important as the final rule, a woman was an ordainment and was not to speak when her husband was present without first being addressed by him. Seen and not heard, her mother used to tell them, daughters were too. Daddies are meant to spoil their daughters and wives but they had best not embarrass him, if they did then he had the right to spank them or yell at them or do whatever he needed to do in order to restore order. Lilly had assumed as a child, mostly because of this, that her father's abuse -yes she finally admitted to herself that he was abusive - was justified because her magic was an embarrassment to him. After all, he hadn't hit or struck her so she deserved it, at least that was what she had been told as a child. Her mother had told her over and over that sometimes a woman just had to put up with a certain amount of discomfort in order to be secure.

And if she didn't do the things her man needed her to then she had no right to keep him and he had the right to seek the solace of another woman's arms, because she was not giving him what he needed so she had no right to try and keep him in that unhappy marriage. Lilly, for her part, thought this was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard in her life, marriage was not a service the man provided the woman for which she ought to be grateful. Her guardians were married and Minerva did not defer to her man for every little decision, in fact they were partners, often making joint decisions when it came to things such as raising her and her brother. Marriage was a commitment of love and one not to be taken lightly, which is why Lilly had made the choice to marry the man she had. They knew each other, they complimented and brought out the best in one another, and most importantly they loved each other and their family more than anything in the world.

Her mother- Minerva- had showed her what a real marriage was meant to be like, had guided her into following her heart no matter what and had lead her to Sev's arms just in time to save them both from the terrible fates their current lives resided on. She now knew why she had been attracted to the misogynistic, handsome, well-off James Potter. Little girls fall in love with their daddy, and he was just like William, could have been William had her father been able to use the magic his parents blood had tried to grant him. Not the abusive part, thank Merlin but the traditional women were his perfect accessory, his wife was the compliment in looks, wealth and brains and so Francis Meriwether who had loved him all her life and come to think of it was a prettier and magical form of Daisy. Happy to be pretty, married and simple as a woman should be when with such a man.

Lilly turned and looked at Severus's sleeping face, enjoying the way her husband's eyelashes fluttered gently against the sharp angles of his face and realized as she gazed at him, that she had also married her daddy. Her _other_ daddy. Sev was sharp, quick-witted and calculating to be sure but there was a certain gentleness and protective nature about him as evidence by his reacted to those muggles tormenting her. Yes, there was a certain amount of Albus in him right enough. Still Lilly shuddered to think of the arguments to come by virtue of the fact that her mother and sister had indeed broken all three of William's cardinal rules. They had spoken out of turn, unaddressed by their partners, allowed the sort of people he hated into his home and embarrassed him in front of them by being impolite and what's worse, his little girl's bridegroom was now a _pig._

Oh there would be hell to pay for the four of them that night when the lights went out and Lilly had to admit she did feel just the slightest pang of remorse over her part in the situation. Although not all-together that much because the image of that man as the animal he truly was had been the absolutely perfect ending to such an awful and awkward night. Lilly choked on a laugh so as not to wake her husband as she thought of the morning when the groomsmen and family noticed that their loved one was a swine and she could not wait to see the looks on their faces. The thought caused a bubble of laughter to rise in her throat at the memory of Severus losing his temper and blasting that fat ugly muggle right in his stupid mug and suddenly all remorse fled her should she feel bad for him, for any of them? To them her heart and her blood were little more than reasons for capital punishment and she was something to be ashamed of.

Even worse, was the fact that her own son meant nothing at all to them but they were celebrating the fact that Petunia and Vernon were pregnant out of wedlock by throwing this extravagant wedding for her when Lilly's own life was of no more importance to them then a minor inconvenience in their happy family plans. Her brother's words tortured her mind, ached deeper than any of the other insults. The fact that he had been brought up to hate her was the deepest cut of all, this was a boy she had never harmed, done nothing to and yet he hated her. That was what made her feel the worst, she had hoped that he, who she had never met, would give her a chance to show her just how much she wanted to love him. Wanted that sense of normalcy, from the family that had born her even if she was not a member of them anymore in her own world. After all there was no way for them to have known that, their memories were not wiped and she was still blood but that had been a false hope because he had been raised to hate her and felt she was something to be exterminated.

Lilly sighed as she heard a loud snore come from her husband and giggled softly at the image of that awful muggle transformed into a pig again and blushed hotly at the memory of Severus' lips running over her body in the most intimate way. She smiled as the thought of what Petunia's wedding night would be with such a man or rather creature as he was at the moment. Not that there was much change to be made, come to think of it, after all she had heard that male swine had very impressive male anatomy. Hell, it would probably be an improvement over what she was used to from that fat oaf; not that Lilly was really looking at him in that respect, but he like her father could not be bothered to cross his knees when sitting so she had gotten an eyeful whether she wanted to or not. And when he had advanced on her to snatch her child she had been thoroughly unimpressed to say the least.

The thought of her sister or anyone else having sex with such a man made her feel ill and she smothered a gag behind her hand at the sudden image of the two of them in bed at the office or wherever they had conceived their son. Her sister doing what she needed to do to get ahead and that hog of a man gloating over her as he took advantage of her and then got her pregnant. Her mama may celebrate the birth of her son but she would not tolerate her grandson being a bastard, devout as she was and so Petunia was forced to wed. Lilly for her sake, hoped she was right in assuming that Petunia loved Vernon, for as awful as she was, to be in a loveless marriage... that was a fate worse than death and no one -not even her former sister- deserved that. She thought of her own son, how much joy he brought her and hoped somewhere deep inside that- no matter how ugly the child was- and she could only imagine what the child was going to look like with them as parents that she would love him as much as Lilly loved Harry.

She reached down and felt her body where the marks of her husband's love painted a map to her heart and beyond, smiling a little at the memory of the feeling of his strong hands all over her body. Loving all over her and the children inside her while the child they had made out of love slept soundly in the crib unaware of his parents passions and distress as the spell his mother wove over him kept him deep in his dreams. She turned to Sev, the dark room calm and soothing as he slept, his long nose exuding powerful exhales, detailing the depth of his current rest and she kissed his nose causing him to wake and smile up at her. God she loved his smile, loved his sleepy smile and the way his chiseled jaw seemed to open up like a beaming statue as he sat up and kissed her lips for a long, solid moment.

"Hello my Flower," he drawled,

"Mm, good evening Severus," she whispered against his throat.

He kissed her then, slow and deep and gentle and long, his tongue exploring the familiar paths of her mouth as she released a soft moan and he wrapped his arms around her sitting up to deepen the kiss, her pulse beneath his caressing thumb beating just a little faster as his gasp for breath echoed in the room. It was a whisper, a breathless cry, which echoed in the cavernous darkness of the early morning hours. The pitch-black inky shadows of the room absorbed all the unspoken words he wanted to say to her every minute of every day but did not have the vocabulary to do so. In that single solitary gasp, their tongues locked in an embrace along with the rest of their bodies as her delicate, articulate fingers which healed so many bodies and even his own heart grasped gently in the tendrils of dark hair.

Severus moaned deeply in the back of his throat, it vibrated like a cat's purr, beautiful and seductive and yet comforting all the same. He did not break apart but instead started another kiss holding her as her body responded to her husband and awoke for him. Her hands were against his broad chest, and their combined body heat was just the comfort she needed to soothe her back to sleep. But her body was alive in those moments, she forgot everything, her family, the pregnancy and everything else. The kissing turned to passion and the two made love for what must have been the fourth time that night (but who's counting really) and when they finished Lilly felt her heart stop at what came next from his lips.

"Marry me again Lilly..." he mumbled into her hair, "tonight..."

She froze for a moment then he heard her laughing, soft and quiet laughing, "you're joking," she chuckled.

"No, no I'm not..." he crooned into her hair, "I want to do it again."

The string of kisses he ran down her back made her shiver like a love-struck schoolgirl as a rosy blush crept all the way across her body, down her belly to crest around her breasts where Severus's hands rested and he smiled, enjoying her reaction to his touch -something he was sure he would never get tired of- no matter how long they lived. He smiled as he felt her turn to face him fully, green eyes heavy with the pregnant sleepiness which plagued all women in the process of making a baby. He had never found her more beautiful than he did when she was pregnant. with other men they may find their pregnant wives gross or unappealing but to Severus the glowing skin and rounding figure of the woman he loved was just the way she ought to look around him.

"But I did not bring a wedding gown and we have no plans and-"she rambled and he stopped her.

He stopped her, "Didn't you once tell me my flower that the most romantic moments were the unplanned ones?" He asked.

"Well yes, but-"

"No 'buts'," he said, "Come on Lilly, marry me tonight, what have you got to lose?"

She thought about it for a second and then she grinned shrugging playfully she said, "sure why not?" by way of teasing acceptance.

Lilly smiled at the hint of mischief in her husband's eyes and nodded again as he reached for her hand, smiling as he pulled her to her feet. She looked up out the window of their hotel where the stars were glowing and sparkling like so many tiny diamonds. In that moment Lilly was reminded of why she had always loved the English countryside more so than the city, sure the hustle and bustle was fun but there was nothing more beautiful or more picturesque than the evening over the suburbs on a quiet British night. He walked over to a quaint little patch of grass and with a whispered incantation the white flowers planted there for the guests' enjoyment became a wedding dress which fit like a glove. He handed it to Lilly who slipped it on and smiled as he, true to his heritage caught the starlight and spun it into a crown Which he placed reverently on her head as he kissed her temple.

She framed his face and kissed his nose, noting that the dress he had made with love was truly a unique and beautiful thing, one which her daughter would wear when she married someday. All white with patterns of the aforementioned flowers embroidered into the lace in a delicate, embedded pattern. The crown on her head was shimmering and bright, made of starlight and silver she had never seen anything so beautiful. Oh, she had seen many pieces of wizarding jewelry to be sure, some made of pure dragon gold, some made of scales and unicorn fur. All of it lovely, all of it unique in its own way and unlike any other muggle gem she had ever seen. But she had never seen or held anything like the veil she wore on her head. Pure silver, pure starlight, a gift of beauty made for her by a man who saw and loved every inch of her inside and out.

While Lilly inspected her beauty in the mirror -vain though it was she was a woman and proud of her looks- her husband set about doing the other preparations he had to make, he wore the suit he brought with him from Prince Manor, he put Harry -still sleeping- in his little suit and then he preformed the necessary spells to inform the guests which on both ends totaled about 20 or so people each. The parents, siblings, friends and coworkers totaled about 80 people altogether. Most of which were grumpy at the lateness of the hour but enthusiastic all the same of the idea of a second wedding once Severus explained the muggle-mess which went down the night before. It was a mere quarter hour before they were all assembled and present and in formal-wear to boot.

"Lilly you look _beautiful!"_ a redheaded woman who worked with her said.

"Thank you Molly," she said, blushing a little as the woman's two oldest sons Charles and Bill and husband Arthur Weasley all nodded in agreement.

It seemed that the entire clan had come all Seven of them and apparently a very-pregnant Molly holding one-year old Ronald as her twin boys made a game of hiding in the bushes and finding one another. Her third son Percy ignored her and looked bored by the whole proceeding, much more interested in his book then the second wedding of a woman he had only met a few times in his life on bring your child to work day and things like that. Lilly could not blame him for being distracted as she found her attention pulled this way and that by the arrival of more of their wedding guests. There was Mr. Creevey, a rather well-known, and almost-famous muggle photographer whose son like herself was a muggle-born wizard and just a year younger than Harry.

She had been one of Lilly's favorite patients and little Collin was just a doll, having been brought to Lilly and Molly when at three weeks old he had began to turn the yellow curtains blue. No muggle doctor had been able to come up with a reason for this and so Marybeth had brought little Collin to a magical one as a last resort. Lilly had calmed the poor hysterical woman and assured her that there was nothing wrong with her son that he was a healthy special magical baby and that his talents were something to be encouraged. If she had any more questions feel free to call or come in at any time, and in return she had told Lilly that if she needed a favor, anything at all to call her and it seemed like Severus had called in said favor. After all no wedding was complete without a picture to commemorate the day

The Weasleys and Creeveys in toe the group adjourned to the adjacent park which at this ungodly hour was closed to the public but they paid no attention to that as it was a venue used for weddings in the daytime. But the lateness of the hour was just the right time to do a wizard wedding in the muggle world where there was no one else about, save for the songbirds who would hail their congratulations to the couple. With this in mind and hand-in-hand they awaited as next arrived her friends, the Blacks, the Potters and the Lupins, all six quickly -and magically- dressed as bridesmaids and groomsmen in shades of green and gold and red and silver. School colors true but the perfect theme for their wedding, the marriage of the Gryffindor and the Slytherin in perfect harmony. Green and gold for the groom and red and silver for the bride each stating who they were while borrowing a color from the other.

Hogwarts professors who had been fond of them also came and last but not least, the Malfoys and Dumbledores arrived looking happy and sleepy all at once, Minerva wrapped her arms around Lilly and transformed her dress into the appropriate mother-of-the-bride attire as Professor Sprout, always Lilly's favorite teacher, arranged roses into a red carpet for an isle and a very grumpy Father Wellington drug up from his bed at the Hogsmeade chapel was brought to start the proceedings. Before the proceeds could begin Albus raised his wand and a jet of turquoise fluid to form a bubble around the group. This was strictly a precaution so as to be hidden from any passing muggles less they get in trouble for trespassing. The spell made them invisible and muted to any non-magical persons who happened to be strolling by for some reason or another. Lilly was handed a bunch of professor Sprout's prettiest azaleas and little Harry, still asleep upstairs was brought by her groggy, sleep-deprived brother down to the group and handed to his grandmother.

The nearby piano was enchanted and the ceremony began, as the bridal march floated in the air Lilly was struck by Severus, standing beside his best man, a Mr. Horace Slughorn. His old and favorite professor and one-time head of house the man had a firm and fatherly hand on his shoulder as Albus walked her down the isle. Lilly was only vaguely aware of her father guiding her, her eyes and thoughts were locked on Severus, standing there and smiling at her with his deep dark fathomless eyes as bright as the starry sky above them. He was all she could see, all she could think of, and she placed her hand in his with a smile taking her rightful place beside him. The ceremony that followed was everything the first one should have been, in fact it was better because William and Daisy Evans and their ilk were not sitting there glaring at them as if they had just swallowed a half-dozen lemons between the two of them.

The two said their vows, the same ones from their first wedding because the promises to love cherish and honor one another remained the same, but this time Severus knelt down in front of her and kissed her belly adding softly , "Lilly, I take you to be my wedded wife, I promise, protect and cherish you and all belonging to you for the rest of my days." he said.

She pulled him to his feet, and holding both his cheeks in her hands replied, "Severus, I take you as my wedded husband, I promise to heal your demons, calm your fears and be there for you always to the end of my days."

"Do you, Liliana Sunshine Dumbledore, still take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health for richer or poor, as long as you both shall live?" asked the father and Lilly beamed.

"I do." she said cupping the back of his head, preparing to bring him in for the kiss.

"Severus, same question," replied the sleepy old man who simply could not be bothered to ask it a second time.

Severus nodded, "I do" he said leaning in just a little closer to her, "Always." he whispered so only she could hear.

"By the power vested in me by the father the son and the holy ghost I now pronounce you husband and wife, as a sign of your union, you may kiss the bride." he said, his voice dripping with tired boredom.

Severus, pointedly ignoring the man, smiled and swept her up in his arms as the party in attendance clapped and cheered, his mouth crashed over hers and he kissed her as if he were doing so for the first time. Her mouth opened to return the gesture and the clicking of camera shutters got the perfect moonlit kiss of two lovers saying yes to forever a second time. As the two broke apart, Severus raised her hand in a show of love, friendship and triumph as Abraxas and Albus shot fireworks from their wands spelling congratulations in the sky Lilly stepped down and hugged both her parents who handed her son to her and she kissed him and held him before handing him off to Remus who was taking him for the night to give the couple a little privacy on their second wedding night and within moments an entire reception was conjured before them.

A beautiful cake all orange and white appeared with steaming mugs of butter beer -Lilly was pregnant and could not have alcohol at the moment- meats and fruits and salads just appeared as apparently the dishes they ate on were from the Hogwarts kitchens and filled automatically with the food the house elf's made no matter the location. It seemed also that upon hearing of the second marriage of his daughter where in fact he would be the only father of the bride, Albus had woken the house elves and told them that he required them to make their best dishes enough for the guests and so they did. The food was excellent and the mood merry and Lilly could not keep a smile off her face as she and Severus did all the things that married couples do.

They cut the cake ate, drank and danced and Lilly was grateful that her sister's wedding to Vernon was the ideal time of 2:30 in the afternoon because by the time the festivities had concluded the sun was just peeking through the night in its earliest rise and everyone was yawning mightily behind their at last they had all apparated home Lilly and her husband went upstairs to their room, comfortable in the knowledge that Harry would be returned to them in time for their appointment they laid back down in their little bed and held one another close, neither feeling a need to make love due to the fact that they had already done so numerous times the night before. Or so she thought for her husband was more than intent on consummating this marriage again just because he could.

She allowed him to hold her and love her again for what felt like hours though it could not have been that long before finally settling into his embrace, warm and snug against the curve of his hip. His face was pressed into her hair and she could tell he was falling asleep and she had to smile in gratitude, knowing how exhausted and stressed he was and yet he planned a whole midnight wedding just to make her happy. Even after everything he had been through, all the fears he had he still put her own needs before his and she could only hope that she somehow, someway was able to repay the favor and live up to her added vows in the future.

For now however she raised her left hand, where the same ring he had given her the first time had been replaced on her finger and stroked his knuckles with her thumb saying, "I love you Sev..."

"Always..." came his thick groggy reply as another snort threatened to interrupt him.

"Yes," she said turning to her now sleeping husband and stroking his hair, "always..." and then, finally for the first time since the attack, without the aid of any magic, Lilly closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.


	15. Summertime Interludes

Harrison Severus Snape and the magical childhood: 1 of the cursed Chronicles Part 1 of 8

 **Chapter 15**

 _Summertime Interludes_

The following morning was grey and oddly overcast for summer when the Snapes woke in the bedroom of their hotel. Severus was first to wake and he ran kisses down the curve of her spine, smiling as she sighed and curled into his embrace; tucking her hip into the curve of his pelvis. He smiled as he stroked the fire-spun strands down her spine as she snored roughly then woke with a disgruntled cough. Moaning quietly, she rolled over sleepily, not wanting to wake up or move from his strong slender arms. Instead she simply went back to sleep for a little bit, it felt like a couple minutes when really it was a few hours before she stirred again. The last thing she remembered hearing before she fell asleep again was the sound of Severus's thunderstorm voice. Soothing her, telling her to relax, that it was okay for her to go to sleep if she needed to. She tried to wake for him, feeling a sudden and deep warmth at his touch. And just like that, she suddenly wanted to kiss him; to remind him of last night in every way possible. But her pregnant body favored the other option and as wild as her passions had run the night before it seemed like her children had other ideas and so she settled down again right where she wanted to be anyway.

Lilly heard the sound of her own snoring before she knew she was asleep fully, the kind of sleep where one is aware of the fact that they had fallen into it but was unable to wake themselves. But her children seemed to prefer when their mother was in a semi-unconscious state at the moment, for all she seemed to be capable of doing as of late was eating, passing out, and waking up lately. A state of helplessness she might have found unsettling were it not for her current situation. Lilly had never liked to be helpless, had never seen herself as the type of wilting violet to wither away in some stone tower. Never seen herself as the type to gaze wistfully at sunsets whilst she lamented to the songbirds of love yet unrequited. Perhaps at one time she had been, but she supposed that was just the norm for young girls to dream of happy-ever-afters and white horses carrying them off into the aforementioned sunsets and that she had indeed been normal at one time or another.

But nowadays, as she slept beside her husband, she could not imagine listening to another man's breathing at night, or hearing the sound of another man's voice whispering her name in-between the sheets in the far reaches of the night. Lilly curled against him, her body relishing the warmth of his arms as he nuzzled the top of her head. She allowed her body to relax entirely, enjoying the peace and quiet after the disastrous turmoil of the last few days. It all seemed to catch up to her, and her eyes felt like they were being held down by tiny barbells which kept them shut. It seemed only a moment before she was snoring again and this time it was finally without nightmares; in fact it was without dreams entirely, just blissful, warm darkness in a quiet room in the English countryside just her and the man she loved and her three children growing inside her, with her beautiful baby boy in her brother's arms safe and sound.

Severus had to smile at the now snoozing woman in his arms while her steady snoring filled the room like a gradual rumble of an oncoming lightning-storm, knowing it would be loud when it arrived and yet still memorized by its ever-present beauty. He laid beside her, still naked, playing with her hair and smiling at her, the joy in his black eyes, making them appear nearly chocolate brown and a boyish smile playing on his lips. The smile she had always loved, which he rarely showed to anyone flashed two hidden dimples out of the sides of his face, like cute winking eyes which never saw anything but the best watched her for a moment, smiling as she snuggled him and thought of where they were in their lives, new families, new home and everything seemed so bright that even the damnable English fog for which the country was infamous could not dampen the joy which seemed to permeate every inch of their tiny room.

He watched her sleep, watched the time tick by slowly as she snored and mumbled dream talk to him or whoever she was meeting in that dreamland as her tiny fingers Lilly yawned, stretching languidly as she reveled in the affects of a proper night's sleep and she smiled back at him, kissing him slowly on the lips for a good long moment. Enjoying the way he tasted of love and the remnants of sex from the previous smiled as she moaned gently tangling her fingers in the dark locks of his hair, toying with it, warm as his tongue played with her for a moment. The familiar intensity of the kiss so new yet so normal all at once was soothing and igniting that familiar flame in her and she held him for a moment gasping for breath and laughing when he nibbled her nose, and gave her a little boyish smile which she only saw on those occasions where his seriousness abated.

Rare as those occasions were, she loved them the most, because they reminded her of the mischievous young man he had once been and those long summer days where she and Severus had spent endless hours together. Doing everything from making flowers bloom, to turning their nannies teacups into rats and running off, but the reason she loved those smiles the most, was, that was the smile he had given her just before their first kiss not too many years ago. The sight of that smile, winking at her from the dimples on his face, made her feel overcome with the urge to kiss him again. And so she did just that, she took his face in-between her palms and slowly, ever-so-slowly, she kissed him the way she wished she could have done the first time. Not when he had been forced to in order to protect her honor from that disgusting shopkeeper the day he had seen her in that store looking for her remedies.

She took his face in between her hands and gave him a long, slow, deliberate kiss, her tongue dipping and retracting, tasting the man, she loved, her husband, and this was the way she had wished she had. The way she had kissed James Potter, mistakenly thinking her attraction to his handsome face to be the antipathies to real love. Lilly kissed him, shyly, like the schoolgirl she wasn't too far off from being, starting out as if she were unsure, trying to judge his reaction to her. Not that she thought it would be unfavorable, for her husband was never a man to turn down her affections. But he was also not the shy and quiet lover, he was commanding and liked her to match him in every aspect. Thankfully, the groan he uttered in response was enough encouragement for her, and slowly he returned it, matching her gentleness, matching the sweetness of the kiss.

Meeting her on her level, matching her delicacy as he slowly cupped the back of her neck, her husband's hand gripped the back of her neck but it wasn't with his usual heat and forcefulness. No, this was just what she needed from him right now, a soft and tender gesture, with all the underlying passion he had to tell her that he was there. That he loved her and that, finally after everything they had been through over the last few days, the two of them had this moment, and their love to get them through this. Finally pulling away, the two of them let their foreheads rest against one another, smiling with their eyes closed for a moment by way of saying good morning. At last she lifted her eyelids and her shamrock colored eyes fell gently on her lazing husband who was seemingly content to just hold her in his arms and let her relax, while he stroked the bump of children in her belly. Outside a blue jay tweeted softly and the evergreens of English suburbia seemed to glisten in the foggy morning. Rolling over, she looked at the clock; it was half-passed eleven a.m. Lilly loathed to get up, but knew she had to get ready for the wedding.

Today was the day, the Evans family would lose her forever and she did not want to be late. So she stood, placing her hands on her belly as she soothed the children who had begun to flip with excitement, she soothed them and began to get dressed in the gown she had brought for the wedding. It was a lovely pastel-shade of robin's egg blue or perhaps cornflower blue, it was hard to tell in the sheen of silvery overcast light. In any case; both were a couple of her favorite blues and she made way to put it on but stopped for a moment as she caught sight of Severus, acting as any normal man and enjoying her reflection in the mirror both front and back with just the slightest hint of mischief in his eyes. Lilly smiled, this was one of those things that she loved about her stern, calculating, and ever-calm husband. No matter how old-fashioned, no matter how chivalrous he was to her he was still a man and enjoyed looking at his wife as any other man did.

So, she laid her dress down and deciding to arrange her hair first into a long rivulet of crimson braids which tumbled like Rapunzel's rope-latter tumbling nearly down to her bottom and gracing the top of it with the lightest caress. Severus smiled as Lilly allowed her hair to tumble all the way down, enjoying the way the magic in her blood caused her hair to untie itself an and untangle itself without a brush. Taking her time and enjoying the way her husband openly appreciated her body, delighted in the knowledge that he knew she was toying with him but made no move to stop her. Instead watching her with an indulgent smile, and eyes which were slightly predatory as he just admired her. Now Lilly was no exhibitionist, she was actually shy when it came to her body; but she was indeed flirtatious and she loved to be admired by her husband.

Vain as it made her sound, what woman did not love to be admired by her husband? Lilly took great pleasure in the fact that her husband was attracted to her, and that she could command his passion whenever she chose to and she knew he had no objection to her superficial flaws. Liliana had always been in the smallest amount, an egotist, always wanting to look her best. Perhaps it was because of her abusive father, or neglectful mother, but they had turned her into a perfectionist. Always trying to be the bell of the ball, the best in her class and leaving herself very little margin for error. Lilly had reached the top of her schooling, the student-body head of her boarding school house, anything to impress them but it would all end tonight. Never again would she have to hear how she was not as good as her sister, how she was some kind of freak and how marrying Severus was the biggest mistake of her life.

Never again would she look at the scars on her body, the scars that she never told her husband where they came from, and feel remorse for whatever transgression she had never committed. Lilly shivered as she remembered the first scar on her cheek and where it had come from, her father, throwing her down on the fireplace where she had cut open her own face. Ignoring her when she pleaded for him to help her, she recalled the feel of the blood as it trickled down her face, hot sticky. and slimy. That was the moment when she had realized, he hated her, would never truly love her the way she needed to be loved and her mother did nothing, just stood there and turned the other way while her youngest daughter, whose beauty and virtues had once been the only thing on her lips was just as disgusted by her as the rest of them were. That Petunia and her brother were the children in the house and she, Lilly was the bad thing, the boogeyman her parents had to protect their children from.

But with Severus, she had been beautiful. Whereas the boys in her muggle secondary school had found her odd, and freckled and altogether unappealing in comparison to her blonde, blue-eyed, rosy-complected older sister; the boys at Hogwarts made her feel wanted. James had made her feel desired, in more ways than one, and Severus had told her and made her believe, that she was the only woman in the world that meant anything to him. Besides his mummy of course. Severus had taught her what it meant to be loved by a man, really and totally loved. He had been the one to help her when she had lost control of her powers, had always told her that her talents were everything that made her who she was. Lilly smiled, remembering that day when he had noted what an she was an incredible talent at charms she was, and even teased her a little bit about putting a love-spell on him.

Lilly had laughed saying, "No my darling, magic like love, runs in the bloodlines."

When he asked her what she had meant by that, she had explained it was because of her muggle parents that magic ran in her blood, she knew it was her father's jealousy which had made him hate her so much, for grandma and papa Evans had attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America and had been the top of their classes. But when their son, their only child, had been unable to use magic, they had been just like him. Cruel and heartless as they were, when he was unable to use the magic that ran so strong in the bloodlines, they had wanted to disown him and had done just that. They had told their friends and neighbors that he had run away to England, run and never looked back. When in reality they had found her mother's next-door neighbors, an elderly, childless couple and used a false-memory charm to make them believe he was their son and then run off on him. Now that Lilly thought about it, she had never even so much as met her paternal grandparents. Rather she had met two people who, like herself had adopted her father when he had been passed off at age twelve, ironically with the same last name.

She supposed that her grandfather, whoever he was, had used both a false memory and a glamour charm on the three of them and that it -as these things often did- worn off eventually for her father. For though it had a permanent effect on the muggles, it had not lasted forever on William and when Lilly's own magic had begun to bloom the effect it had was enough to jog the man's memory. And Lilly had been a reminder of that for him of his abandoned childhood and his failures as a wizard and he had punished her for it. Everything from locking her wand away, to locking her in the blessed cabinet under the stairs, crying like a child while she relayed these things to him, fearing in that moment that he might find her weak and unworthy as her father had. But Severus had wrapped his arms around her and just held her tight against his chest, in a way that no other man, not even Potter had done. His arms warm, steady, and strong, as his voice rang in her ears a deep thunderous whisper.

"Lilly," he said seriously, "Look at me," when she had he said, "Never mind them. You are a beautiful, talented girl and it's his loss, not yours."

"But... my father." she started and he hushed her with a finger pressed gently against her lips.

"No 'buts'," he told her, "I'm right and you know it, and I love you and your guardians love you." He kissed her mouth, slow and soothing before going on, "Now no more tears, it's over now." and then he had rocked her to sleep.

He was right of course, her guardians were the opposite of her parents, they had loved her _cherished_ her even, let her know that the world was her oyster and that there was nothing she couldn't do and whence in their care the raw reality of her life came crashing down on her. She had realized that not only did they fear her but that they would never love her the way her guardians did and that she really and truly no longer belonged in their normal, cookie-cutter muggle world. Which is why she felt absolutely no remorse, or qualms about having McGonagall be her mother when it came to the transition to womanhood. Under her mother's care, she had allowed her magic to flourish, to grow to a massive power of which she was justly proud. Lilly smiled privately to herself as she watched his glittering eyes moving lazily over her with a touch of possession buried deep within their depths as she acknowledged, as did every woman, that she did enjoy the attention from the man she loved. Gryffindors were proud and brave but with those virtues came the tell-tail flaw of vanity and Lilly was no exception.

She had been a true Gryffindor, proud, steady, and slightly big-headed as she was ashamed to admit; but it seemed to come with the description. Her mum was one of the proudest, headstrong women she had ever known in her life; strong and severe the woman was never one to quake and hardly ever one to shiver and she too, in her youth had been beautiful and just a little vain. Lilly smiled as she stood in front of the mirror, watching her naked body as she took her wand out and drew a silvery measuring tape with it around her waist measuring the circumference of her body as she framed the bulge of her stomach lovingly in between her hands. Her children rolled playfully beneath her fingertips and she laughed aloud at the ticklish sensation of her children moving about their confines, most likely tussling playfully in between the warm folds of her womb.

Lilly and as she laughed she caught sight of her husband. Watching her with amusement in the reflection in the mirror, dark eyes moved over her body languidly as he noticed the wedding gown so neatly folded by the end of the bed and smiled at the memory of the night before. Her hands caressing him, kisses in the shadows casting soft dancing lovers upon the wall of their hotel room. Severus had always loved shadows, perfect exquisite creatures were shadows; reaching behind the lovers in the darkness to dance along with them as they made love. On the end of the bed lay her wedding dress, sewn back together with a repairing spell after the poor garment endured the passions of a young couple with the world at their feet. He loved the smile on her face as she magically fashioned a golden dress from a bouquet of sunflowers which had been dancing outside the window of their room.

With a flourish of her wand the sunflowers slowly turning into a gown softer and more delicate than the finest silk, the petals turning into a solid gold choker which rested ornately on the collar of her dress. The leaves wove themselves into the pattern of her dress, soft and faded neatly into the fabric she inspected it and gave herself a proud little smile at the sight of her handiwork. Alchemy spells were a favorite of hers, her mother had taught them to her during the summer of her fifth year as a special treat that she had been made promised to not show off too much. She had agreed of course, having that ever-present thirst for knowledge and as she had always loved transfiguration, turning flowers into pretty things which would last forever was one of her favorite tricks.

Nodding her approval she went quickly to shower with Severus, who was more than happy to share at any time in something so intimate, when they had finished, she came out and put on the dress. She stood in front of the mirror, admiring her now clothed body and froze with a tiny gasp as he stood behind her placing his hands on both of her shoulders. Looking into the mirror behind her she wished she could have captured this moment forever, Severus behind her, looking like some hero from a Jane Austen novel, dark and urbane in his sinister elegance, there was... a certain possessive charm to him as he placed his wedding band firmly on his finger and kissed her on the head with just the hint of a closed-mouth smile shadowed ghost-like and fleeting across his face.

"You look beautiful." he said, stating the obvious with a kiss on her crown.

"Thank you," she sighed, then,"Time to go..." she said mournfully, "Into the lion's den."

Severus smiled, his eyes twinkling a little bit, "Good thing I have a cape then." he chuckled, removing his dark pine-green cloak and making a gesture like a Spanish Matador.

Lilly couldn't help it, she cracked up. "You always make me laugh." she chortled.

He smiled, taking her hand the two of them apparated to the church because the wedding was at noon and it was already a quarter to when they left the tiny hotel room. When they appeared in front of the church Lilly had to admit it was an adorable little place, cream-colored with pink lacy trim, Lilly couldn't help comparing it to getting married inside a cake. Still, she looked around, noticing that there were about 150 people for either side of the room. None of which she could say she had ever had the pleasure of meeting, there was an occasional familiar face, one of Petunia's friends from school, some chatty biddies with laughs like honking geese. Their husbands who were filling the chapel with cigar smoke that caused Lilly to choke and a feeling of nausea to rise in her throat as she spotted a set of five multicolored cloaks peeking out from the corner of the small rectangular room which this multitude of people had been squeezed into.

"Mummy! Da! Rem!" she shouted, so relieved to see her family. "What are you doing here!"

"We don't want to miss the show!" Chuckled Nymphadora, "It's sure to be a good one!"

"Indeed, I wish I had some lemon-drops." her father laughed, "Need a snack for this one."

Albus smiled that twilight reaching the swirling depths of his blue eyes as he embraced his daughter with a kiss on the head and a spin. Remus, for his part, gave Lilly a kiss on the cheek and handed little Harry to her with a wide smile. But before she had a chance to greet her baby properly her sister-in-law grabbed her tightly in her arms and rained kisses all over her face. Secretly, she was happy to have them there to witness the final showdown, the laughter in Sev's eyes contagious as he noted the flock of Petunia's friends making their way toward the family of seven in the corner. Albus positioned his lapels in what he thought appeared to be a more sophisticated fashion and smiled at the three young women. Lilly frowned recognizing them at once, Cathy, Betsy and Laura, the four musketeers back together for the big shindig.

Cathy spoke first, "Well if it isn't the _freak,"_ she sneered, "crawled out of the woodwork have you?"

Lilly grimaced as the other two laughed a high-pitched nasally sound and Betsy sniped next, " _Poor dearest Petunia,"_ she whined mockingly, "How can she **bear** the shame of it!"

Albus smiled placing a calming hand on Lilly's arm and saying, "My dears, " his eyes twinkled and she could tell her father was reading their minds, " Betsy Carter, Laura McCarty and Cathy Jones if I am not mistaken."

The three of them looked stunned, and Laura stammered, "Yes, how?" she looked stunned, and Lilly promised herself a good hard laugh later on.

"Our niece tells us all about you!" Chimed Minerva cleverly. "Her dearest friends, although not too kind to our little girl I hear!"

Laura, who was decidedly the smartest of the four of them but the shyest besides, said softly, "Niece, but? We always thought that she was-"

"Her sister?" Remus asked the now nodding woman, "No, she is mine, Remus Dumbledore by the way, I'm her older brother," he said bowing in a gentlemanly sort of way and kissing a now tittering Catherine on the hand.

Minerva felt her eyes well up, hearing her son address himself by her husband's name and not the titular Lupin he had insisted on going by for so long. Remus seeing their mother choke up and Lilly gave her a quiet squeeze of her hand. She discreetly tugged her mother down appearing to whisper something in her ear but instead was kissing her on the cheek. The stern woman smiled, appearing to laugh at something the other had said but stroking Lilly's cheek and giving Remus' hand a squeeze as the women were blushing at him and his aristocratic manners. All except Lilly who was trying her damnedest to keep a straight face as her brother charmed the trio with the ease of a snake in the grass. He was clearly playing along with her parents' charade and loving every minute of it, closet-thespian that he was.

And boy was he laying it on thick!

Telling them what an absolute _pleasure_ it was to finally meet the friends that his dear cousin had told him so much about and what a joy it was to behold the sight of such beautiful women. That were he not already married to his wonderful wife he would surely lose his heart tonight if he were not careful and then just to add affect to the women's tittering, twitterpated attentions he closed the complements with a wink. Lilly smiled, as she noted the father appearing at the pulpit, and Remus offering to escort the three bridesmaids to their appropriate seats as the priest dressed all in black came to stand before the gathering. And at last, after a moment, the organist began to play. Now was the time, she felt in her pocket, her wand hummed and vibrating comfortingly in between her fingers. Just a little longer, and then...this would be a wedding these two would never forget...

 **A/N Wedding is coming up next just setting the scene here hope you enjoyed it!**


	16. Two Weddings and a Magic Spell part II

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter sixteen**

 _Two Weddings and a Magic Spell part II_

Weddings were always Lilly's favorite type of party. Even when she was a small child, she had loved everything about them. Dressing up in pretty pastel colors and putting flowers in her hair as she went to the church to enjoy the decorations. She loved flowers and used to dream about her own father, leading her down the isle to a handsome banker just like himself. Him smiling, her mother crying and her groom waiting to promise her his undying love and seal it with a kiss and the classic ending, they all lived happily ever after. Admittedly as a child, her favorite part of the wedding was the massive white cake with red-velvet insides or chocolate, so sweet and sticky that the flavor lingered in one's mouth till the next morning. But as she got older the feelings and ideals of love took more of a forefront in her mind, not only for herself but for those people who had the good fortune to love her and be loved by her in return.

As she got older, she fell more in love with the sentiments behind the weddings. The idea of spending your life with the same person, growing old side by side and hand in hand with the ones you love. Beautiful as the parties and ceremonies always were, the man and women at the forefront of the event were the main focus. As a teen she had dreamed of sitting beside the water with the man she loved; having him propose to her and then putting on that white dress. Walking down the isle and doing all the things her mother had told her was the important part of being a girl. The marriage the children and the white picket fence and all that. Even in the wizarding world, marriage was considered to be important, as with any proper English family. But the main part, Lilly's _favorite_ part was always the idea of true love behind these things.

Being the incurable romantic she was, she always was happy to stand for a friend or give a groom a congratulatory kiss on the cheek. She enjoyed watching two lovers join forever and the smiles and warmth in a room as the ceremony took place. All the friendly faces of the betrothed's loved ones showing outward displays of the most heartfelt sentiment. But this wedding held none of that for her, as she sat with Severus in the front row of the bridal section all she felt was cold. Cold and dead inside, her baby boy on her lap snoring away and her husband looking at her every so often to ensure all was well. Beside Severus in pairs of two, were her brother, his wife and her parents; all awaiting the arrival of the bride and typical affectionate aura of weddings and churches soothing; mostly due to the comfort charm Minerva had cast for Lilly's own benefit.

Normally Lilly hated the false sense of security such charms provided and yet today, she was grateful for it. Needing something to ease her restless thoughts until just the right moment, not letting her do anything rash when she saw the two of them. But perhaps the cozy atmosphere was perhaps a little bit too much for Albus. Her father, being old and tired as he was, was fighting off sleep, head bopping and rolling on his neck as if he were one of those muggle dolls. The kind with the goofy shaking head too big for his body that moved at the top of a finger. Up and down, back and forth, side to side, he could not seem to stay still and the people were muttering under their breath and pointing at him.

Remus was glaring at people, snickering at the poor old man as they watched him from the corner of their hyper-critical eyes, probably assuming his normal whimsy to be drunkenness or something like that. Lilly wanted to smack these people; bunch of judgmental gits! They had no idea what her family had been through, her father had every right to be tired and need sleep. In fact, his daughter would have much preferred he had stayed home in bed today and caught a couple z's, maybe loved on her mother or purchased a cat. Something fuzzy and comforting to help him sleep. Anything other than sitting here with these people, these total strangers dealing with her burdens. Not that she did not appreciate what her new family was putting themselves through on her behalf, she just wished it wasn't under these dark circumstances.

A madman had tried to kill her, his followers were on the loose and her father had been up for god knows how long attempting to keep everyone safe; muggles or not and all these people did was laugh. Albus' head finally slumped forward and his chin landed on his chest, appearing to rest for a moment, but the drool leaking from his mouth gave him away; he was not resting his eyes but had fallen asleep. Obviously the stress of the passed few days had finally gotten to him, and it had was beginning to snore softly with his mouth wide open. Or at least wide enough so that a fly or two might take up residence if they wanted to. Her mother nudged him gently in the ribs when she heard the first snort waking him up; not that it had grown particularly loud yet. But it was improper for an 'uncle' to snore in the front row of a wedding. Besides the impropriety of it, his family knew how loud he could get and that the deeper his sleep was, the nosier he became.

He awoke with a grunt and moaned softly mumbling a sheepish apology, giving his daughter and son a bashful, embarrassed look. Blinking and rubbing his tired eyes and smacking his dry lips together. Albus yawned, exhausted, and ran his tongue over the curve of his lips to moisten them. Lilly watched Albus and shook her head, feeling pity for the poor old man she loved so much. He really needed a good solid night's sleep his eyes cherry red underneath and purple all around. She winced, only able to imagine the pressure and stress her father had been facing at work. Knowing Cornelius Fudge as she did, he was probably breathing down her father's neck to instate extra safety precautions at the school. Not that she blamed him, she planned to do the same in her home, especially what with Peter Pettigrew on the loose. Be that as it may, she had to guess he had not been home or in his own bed for quite sometime now.

Minerva looked just as tired if not more so, despite being the more sensible of the two of them, Lilly knew her mother to be only human and therefore prone to the worst human emotions. If nearly losing Harry when Lilly herself was a fertile vibrant woman had terrified her, she could only imagine what a woman like her mom, unable to have her own must've felt. She knew her mother tried to be strong, always brave and steady but her mother was still only one woman and had the sentimental worry of a lady who had almost lost her daughter. Her son was sick with an incurable werewolf's curse, her grandson had been attacked and nearly killed because of the faults of the man she had married. However justified the reasons for it were it'd caused a lot of damage nevertheless. And still she stood tall with her head high and a stern expression on her face; tenderness only showing in her eyes when she looked at her husband and children who she loved so much.

She was clinging to Lilly's hand, her knuckles white with the ferocity of her grip as she saw the deadened expression on her daughter's one would have guessed by her haughty proud facade that she had nearly lost half of her family. To the present muggles she looked like a sweet old aunt come to support her niece, a little fatigued from her trip perhaps but nothing else. But her children knew better, Lilly tugged a little for her to release her hand and made small circles on her back. She looked just as worn out and overworked as her husband. Being the deputy headmistress at Hogwarts and the loving family woman she was, Lilly had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Knowing her mother, Minerva was doing everything she could to relieve her husband's burden even the slightest bit. Taking on much more than she should so that he didn't crack under pressure, all the while dealing with her own terror. Just trying to get through the long twenty-four hour days of stress and hard work with a smile.

No doubt she had been overworking herself and not getting enough sleep. She got up slowly and muttered a summoning charm so that her pocket was suddenly filled with four small bottles. Two of which were a gentle resting draft and two of which for wakefulness and energy. Lilly slipped her father the waking draft and he took it gratefully downing it in two gulps. Her mother did the same, careful not to let any muggles see her do it, lest they ask unwanted questions and get her daughter into trouble. It would not do for feathers to be ruffled at the ministry for exposing the magical world to a crowd of muggles and if anyone saw, there could be dire consequences. It could cause Lilly to lose her medical licence not only for magical exposure but for treating her family as a conflict of interest, and Minerva was just too proud of her daughter to risk a governmental inquiry when Lilly was only trying to help.

She leaned over and kissed her daughter's head as the bitter medicine hit her bloodstream, causing her to cough into her gloved hand as it took hold. It had the desired effect, his eyes brightened and she sat upright to watch the festivities and sure enough they began. The bridal march began, and Petunia and her father walked down the isle, little William holding the rings and some random girl Lilly had never seen before scattering the petals of white daisies and babies-breath. Petunia was holding her signature flowers as she swept down the row with not even so much as a glance at her sister in the front and the queen bee of their old secondary school and her sister's right hand. Ursula Lincoln. Looking as ugly and haughty as always, her nose in the air and an aura of superiority filling the church with her usual general unpleasantness.

She walked side-by-side with the bride stood alone at her place awaiting the groom in a most unconventional way to a murmur around the room. Everyone seemed to be wondering the same thing as the bride made her way to the altar. Where was the groom? Even Petunia, who looked lovely in her mother's dress -was looking puzzled that her proper English groom was nowhere to be found. Even only they had just met one time, Lilly had the feeling that Dursley was just like her father. Proper and stoic in his own way who prided himself on punctuality and would never be late for his own wedding. Yet as his bride made her way down the narrow carpet he was supposedly defying convention. For in tradition, it was custom for the groom to await his lady to take her hand as the bridal march started and the crowd stood in admiration of her beauty. But he was nowhere to be seen as she came forward.

Behind her was a fat woman, very fat indeed. When she walked the entire mass of her body shook and jiggled as if she was St. Nick with his bellyful of jelly and the floor creaked ever-so-slightly underneath her great weight. If Lilly had to count the number of chins she had then she might have gotten all the way to four. Come to think of it, she looked exactly like Vernon, probably the sister. She cringed, at the thought of what an unfortunate gene-pool her sister was marrying into and what her future niece or nephew might look like between her pencil-necked redness and his family's toady wart-faced appearance. As they passed by her she was assaulted by a smell of some disgusting French perfume which reminded Lilly of men's toilets and the infamous blue mints. Lilly wrinkled her nose in disgust, hating that she felt a little bit of hurt at the sight of her as Petunia's maid of honor rather than herself.

Not that she expected anything less, especially after the way her family had acted toward her in their last meeting but it still stung a little and she felt her eyes smart with tears. Minerva gave her a reassuring kiss on the earlobe knowing how close the two of them used to be. Knowing that this was painful for her to watch and proud of her for keeping her composure as the Irish priest a teeny little man with a potbelly and a pair of glasses so thick they might be goggles waddled up to the front of the crowd. His huge bum wavering like a bubble about to burst as he looked all about for any sign of Vernon who had seemingly pulled a magic trick of his own and disappeared. Petunia was standing there looking nervous as her blue eyes darted around the room for any sign of her bridegroom, her bottom lip beginning to quiver with an oncoming weeping-fit at the thought of being stood up.

"Where is he Marge?" she whispered.

"Bloody hell if I know Tunie, but when I find that old bastard I'll box 'is ears so I will." she grunted, then bellowed, "VERNON! GET YOUR ARSE OUT HERE THIS MINUTE OR SO HELP ME-"

"I - _snort_ \- can't! I can't _oink-snort_ be seen like this!" He bellowed.

"What utter nonsense," barked his sister, "Get yer arse down this isle and marry Tunie before she cries her makeup off!"

A distressed murmur traveled throughout the room, as everyone wondered why on earth the groom was making noises like some ruddy farm animal and refusing to show himself. Severus smiled at Lilly who smothered a giggle behind her hand, knowing what the trouble was while her parents raised eyebrows and gave her quizzical looks. Marge frowned, the jowls on her quadruple chins wavering like the warbling vocal-pouch of a big brown horny-toad waddling back to the dressing rooms of the church. Severus gave Lilly a wink and held up his fingers as if to count back, 5-4-3-2-1 and then a loud, horrified shriek. So loud and high-pitched that many of the guests winced in pain as it hit their ears and many of them turned to stare at the darkness at the end of the hall.

This was just too much for both of the Snapes and the couple busted into a fit of wild, raucous laughter most uncharacteristic of the both of them that Remus and Nymphadora looked at them with wide-eyed confusion. Petunia looked at them her eyes narrowing as she stepped away from the altar and grabbed Lilly roughly by the shoulders shoving her hard toward the back of the church. She tripped and fell hard on her nose, yelping as she felt the impact against her face and a trickling sensation going down her pale face. Lilly struggled back up to her feet, a little bit of blood trickling down into her lips so that the disgusting coppery taste of the blood invaded her mouth and she fought the urge to abandon her ladylike manners and spit on the chapel floor.

Being so pregnant with multiples it was a struggle to get up, the impact of her fall making her dizzy and she had to close her eyes for a moment. Noticing that no one came to help the clearly pregnant woman who was laying face-first on the cold marble floor. Petunia reached down and pulled her roughly to her feet and continued to tug her down the hall. Lilly hated everyone at that wedding, the fact that no one, not one single person even bothered to get up and come to her aid told her just how much those she had known in her muggle days cared for her; which was apparently not in the slightest. She had expected some level of common decency at least from the strangers who did not know what she was but they were all more concerned with finding out what was wrong with the groom.

"Lilly!" Severus said running to her side as Harry began to wail in his arms. "Are you all right?" he whispered gathering her close to him.

"Yes," she groaned, teetering a little, "Ow..."

"Shh," he murmured, "Don't speak flower, it's okay." he bent his head over hers protectively and glared daggers at her sister, "touch my wife again and you'll be dealing with more than just a swine for a groom."

"Change him _back!"_ Petunia ordered through gritted teeth, "I **don't care** which one of you does it, but you are going to _change him back!"_

 _"_ Like hell!" Snape snapped back, "How dare you put your filthy muggle hands on my pregnant wife!"

Minerva appeared beside Lilly, removing her from her husband's arms to hold onto her and blot her bloody nose with an otherwise pristine white handkerchief. Petunia's eyes widened, at the sight of yet another witch in her presence at her wedding, the pointy hat she wore a dead-giveaway to the kind of person she was. Her blue eyes rounding to the size of dinner-plates as her husband and Remus followed suit in coming to check on Lilly and kiss her; nostrils flaring as the reality that she had brought a whole beehive of these pests to ruin her special day. It was bad enough that her mother had made her invite the three carnies to her wedding, but the fact that she had brought the entire bloody freak-show was just too much.

"Who in the _hell_ are these people?" Petunia growled , forcing Lilly to meet her eyes.

"My family." Lilly told her wiping a smear of blood from her upper lip, _"_ My real family, my mum, dad and brother and his wife. They are the ones who adopted me when you four threw me away like trash."

"That's what you lot are, a bunch of trash, a bunch of disgusting, maddening, freaks!" Barked her sister and Minerva huffed, offended.

"And what are you?" Minerva sneered, losing her temper, when Petunia opened her mouth Minerva stopped her, " don't answer, I'll tell you. You are little more than abusive people who locked your own sister under the damn stairs because she did what your father was never able to do."

"My father is not one of **your kind**!" Petunia hissed, "If he were he never would have-"

"Married your mother and had two muggle children. " Severus sniped back enjoying the hurt on her face.

Petunia slapped his cheek, "My father was NOT one of YOU!"

"No he wasn't," Albus said quietly, "he is what we in the wizarding world called a squib, a wizard born with the inability to do magic, I suppose it was what your people would call -oh what's the word- a disability of sorts."

Tears formed in her eyes. "My father was supposed to be..." she looked stunned.

"Yes," Albus said gently, "I taught your grandparents, Waylon and Ronalda Evans both powerful Ravenclaws, brilliant in their own right; but there were complications in her birthing William and he was born with no magic in his blood such a shame really."

"You knew them," Lilly asked suddenly curious, "What were they like? He never spoke of them to any of us."

"Brilliant, cold and proper much like your father from what I have seen. It seems the apple doesn't fall from the tree, because just like you were sent away so was he. They were so ashamed of their son, felt him to be such a failure, that they left him with some muggles and used a false-memory charm to be rid of him."

"Poor daddy..." Petunia murmured, "he's right, people like you lot are disgusting. Abandoning your only child just because he can't do magic."

Lilly snorted, "Like the three of you did with me?" she said, "really your hypocrisy is astounding Petunia!"

Petunia blushed, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment as her sister took out her wand and did a quick healing spell on her own nose. The blood evaporated and her nose tingled slightly but the pain stopped. She lifted her head and walked passed her sister, walking into where her sister's would-be husband was hiding under so many overcoats and a large bowler-hat. But then she could just see the pinkness of his face and the roundness of his snout as his sister sat blubbering on the couch. Big fat tears rolling down her tomato-colored face and ugly cobwebs of snot oozing like so many spiders from her over-sized nostrils. Lilly was torn between laughter at how stupid her brother-in-law looked and how gross his sister appeared to be.

"What h-h-happened to mmmm-mmm-my brother?" she blubbered.

"He's a pig." Severus told her simply, "and he's going to stay that way."

"A pig!" Marge said in shock, "But _why?"_

"Ever heard the expression it's what's on the inside that counts?" Sev drawled, "I merely turned him inside-out."

Marge wailed loudly and honked her nose into her sleeve and Lilly had to begrudgingly admit that she felt just the tiniest hint of guilt for the distress she was in. The woman -Marge- seemed to genuinely love her brother and if there was anyone in the world who could understand that, it was Lilly. She remembered the night when Remus had gotten married, how happy she was for him and his bride and winced when she looked at the completely dispassionate look on Severus' face. At first she had thought it would be funny, relished the element of humiliation the Evans would face and the shock on his own family's perfect faces. But now she felt awful for his sister, sitting her weeping in her formal-wear while her brother hid in shame.

"He can't be seen like this Lilly! I can't marry a pig!" Petunia whined, and Lilly groaned, good lord her voice was annoying sometimes.

"Oh, but of course you can!" Severus quipped, "Hell I did you a favor do you know how -ahem- 'big' they are?" he laughed.

Lilly let out a derisive snort despite herself.

"Liliana!" said Albus in shocked amusement, "what is the meaning of this!"

"He was very rude to your daughter, so I turned him into the pig he is." said Snape with a shrug.

"Well we have to change him back," Remus warned, "and quickly."

"The hell we do, she laid down with this pig let her marry him!" Snape barked.

Minerva coming in behind them looked at the scene, her complexion turned chalky and she slapped Snape across the back of the head. He growled and turned to face her as she walked to Vernon without bothering to question why and turned him back into the ugly human being he was. Vernon yowled and clutched his face as it morphed back into humanity from his porcine form. She didn't say a word to him, or to her daughter but instead inspected the now-weeping muggle by turning his face side to side. She patted him down as if frisking him, checking every inch before giving them a stiff nod. Her eyes cold and unscrupulous as she made sure his face resembled humanity and then she turned to her daughter and her son-in-law with hard, disapproving eyes.

"We never use transfiguration as a punishment Severus no matter...how amusing it may be." she warned. "You know the law Snape. If he's seen you could get into trouble."

Vernon for his part was gasping, his chest heaving as the wizarding family, made their way back to the pews before he had the chance to speak to them and order their immediate removal. Petunia appeased, gave Lilly a halfhearted, 'thanks' before she and Marge made their sullen way back down the isle to their proper place. Dursley waddled his way down the row looking constipated as all get-out and disheveled but doing his best to limp his way to the bride. The ceremony at last began and went off without a hitch, but then the real fireworks started. As the bride and groom shared their sealing kiss the reception from hell commenced. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley went into the ballroom where they cut a cake and did those quaint little cliches that everyone did at such events. Taking their seats as the father of the bride rose to his feet to make his toast and finally for the last time, give his daughter away.

"Ladies and gentleman," he said, "Thank you for coming to this, the wedding of my only daughter."

Severus grabbed Lilly's hand as little Harry cooed on her lap and looked lovingly at his mother with those bright green eyes of his which reflected the grandfather who now rejected him. Albus nodded and kissed Lilly's cheek,reminding her in his own silent way that she was his daughter now and technically the statement was correct and she relaxed a little. There was no reason to make a fuss when she had made the choice herself, but still it hurt that a man who did not know she was no longer his made no effort to acknowledge the daughter he had, at one time or another, claimed to love more than the moon and stars. But it was what he said next that was just too much for Lilly, and she got slowly to her feet, handing the baby to Albus with her wand clenched tightly in her fist.

"Ever since my daughter Lilly's tragic death," he moaned, doing his best to look appropriately mournful , "Patty here has been my shining light and on behalf of our little family, her mother, little Willy and myself are more than sorry to let our blossom go. But couldn't be happier to see her married to such a man as the great Vernon Hugo Dursley."

As the guests cheered cries of, 'here, here!' Lilly spoke up, "Pardon me _dad_ but I'm right here!" she shouted above the cheers and clinking glasses.

The room went dead silent and all eyes turned on her as she stood on the chair to her family's shocked-horror and she gulped at the furious look on her William's face. It was a look that she had seen too many times, that threatening look that had struck fear into her heart but she couldn't stop now. Not after hearing that she was dead to him, and to her birth-family was just too much for her to sit there silent. She met his eyes evenly, amid the audible gasps of the congregation, refusing to look away or allow her lip to quiver. Lilly called on everything she had learned, and every ounce of British stoniness she possessed to meet him on his level. And so she looked at the people and raised her wand, allowing a down-right wicked smile curve her lips.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" he hissed, "sit down and shut up!"

"I'm not dead ladies and gentlemen, I'm the child he threw away! The freak he locked in the cupboard under the stairs!" she yelled and some of the people glared as a disapproving murmur traveled the room.

"I did not," he barked trying to out-talk the masses, "she's lying!"

"Oh I am, am I?" she sneered, raising her wand she shouted, " _revealio!"_

A loud crack echoed from the tip of her wand and a puff of white smoke filled the air, leaving in its wake what appeared to be a mirror of sorts floating above their heads. The company oo-ed and awed as the horror show unfurled right before their eyes. Every moment, the times he had called her freak, starved her for not being able to control her magic. Petunia locking her in the attic, her mother slapping her face till she bled, a small eleven-year-old girl weeping as she was locked in the darkness of a cabinet under the steps. People were gasping, women sniffled and cried while men made exclamations of, 'I say' or, 'how dreadful' as the color drained from William's face. Everything she had ever been through, everything she had suffered from eleven down to the moment her brother had said she ought to be killed. Now put on blast for the whole of their social-circle to see.

Satisfied that the man was thoroughly embarrassed she stepped down from her chair and walked to stand toe-to-toe with her father. Matching eyes both flaring as he finally did the one thing he had sworn he would never do. He raised his hand and struck her across the face. Hard. The sound of the blow ringing out and splitting her lip. Albus got up, furious, the twinkle gone from his eyes. But the potion to give him energy had worn off and the monumental fatigue that came after hit him like a punch to the chest. He fell backwards into Remus who sat his father down again and fanned both of them to keep them awake so they could watch the unfurling spectacle.

"You say I'm dead dad, just like grandpa Waylon did to you?" she whispered in his ear and his eyes widened.

"How..." he gasped but she did not answer him.

"I am dead dad, dead to you...you'll never see me again, you won't even remember I was born." She nodded and closed her eyes pointing her wand at the now terrified guests, _"Obliviate."_ she whispered, and dissipated into the night.

 **A/N: There it is hope you guys liked it! Tell me how I did?**


	17. Birthday Nightmares

Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter seventeen**

 _Birthday Nightmares_

Apparating was never a pleasant experience for Lilly under the best of circumstances. She loved to fly, loved the feeling of the wind in her face as her broom took her up higher and higher till she could feel the wetness of the clouds. The cold fire of the stars nearly blinding as she got so close she could almost touch them. But this, no, teleportation sounded fun in theory certainly, and was arguably the fastest and by far the most inconspicuous form of magical transportation. Especially at night when no one noticed disappearing shadows in the shrouded streets. But the pros being what they were, they did very little to outweigh the cons. Speed and secrecy, in Lilly's opinion, were not worth the sickness, the vomiting, the dizziness which seemed to go on for hours. Disoriented and exhausting as it caused her to become, she had always hated it. Even when schoolmates were enjoying the new ability to zip-zap around Hogsmeade, Lilly and Severus had always walked.

No matter what the weather was, the two of them had walked hand-in-hand down the cobblestone streets of the little village. Ignoring the jeers and calls of their peers as they laughed at Severus for being...well alive and her for stooping so low as to associate with someone like him. Sev's hand getting tighter and tighter in her own as he chipped the bottoms of his teeth by grinding them down to a dull stump in his mouth. Wanting to vanish and take her with him she knew but enduring it for her so that she could be comfortable all the while asking her why they could not just apparate away from the crowds and have done with it. Gone somewhere where the two of them could be alone, snog in peace and not be bothered by the ignorant masses who only saw what they wanted to. Severus thought they were disgusting specimens of humanity and Lilly, although a permanent optimist would have rather liked to disagree with her then-best-friend she knew somewhere deep down that he was right.

But although she wholeheartedly agreed with her love, the thought of being sick all over her lover made the thought of dealing with people for a bit more appetizing to say the least. But of course she couldn't tell him that. A witch who couldn't apparate, how humiliating. Instead, Lilly had half-lied saying that she simply preferred this form of travel because it was more romantic. Which was true, and Severus, always indulged her, laughing at her sure but kissing her head and allowing her to walk till she came out with it and told her best friend that the act made her ill. And if there was one thing Lilly hated, it was to feel ill. She was not a whiner, no, she was good at the aforementioned and often suffered little more than the common nausea which was no more than one might get on a swirly carnival ride. But then she was pregnant, and so the usual nausea was amplified by ten. So when they appeared at the gate of her parent's house, the dizziness got the best of her and if she'd had anything to eat that day she would have lost it on the front porch.

Instead she doubled over, losing the water she had drunk along with what she was sure was the lining of her stomach. Dry heaves and thick spit ended up on the steps, an unflattering position if there ever was one. Severus, ever attentive to her every need, held back her hair. Never mind that nothing more than some spit and water was coming up, he loved his wife's hair and did not want it mussed with vomit. Nymphadora wiped her mouth clean while Minerva held her upright to keep her from going down on her knees and falling face-first into her own spew. Lilly, overwhelmed with emotions and gratitude for her loved ones was in tears and leaned her head against Remus' broad shoulder while he pet her head. Now, Liliana Dumbledore was not an emotional woman, she liked to count herself as sensible; almost too practical even. Severus had often told her, that she may have done very well in Slytherin with how by-the-book and no-nonsense she was, but right now, much as she hated to admit it; she was an absolute, utter, hysterical mess.

She'd like to think that she was a strong capable woman; a doctor, a wife, a mother. Not lately. Lately she seemed to be an emotional wreck who bursts into tears at the slightest provocation. As she left the wedding of her now former sister she was in tears, as they disaparated back to her parent's house she was in tears, and by the time they reached the door she was a complete and utter mess. Her family, given everything she had gone through, was indulgent; compassionate even. Her brother and husband taking turns hugging and kissing her. Nymphadora rubbed her shoulders and pregnant stomach and her mom and dad were positively falling over one another to comfort her as tired as they were. Everyone was being so loving and so supportive that it made her cry harder which caused Severus to give her a soft indulgent laugh and a kiss on the forehead.

Stroking her cheek as Albus, hardly able to hold his head up fumbled with the keys to his house, dropping them twice. Remus used his set,allowing them all into the cozy little sitting room where there were photos of the family at holidays and such. Pictures of them as a family and wedding pictures of her parents all over the walls. Lilly smiled as she realized that she had not been in her parents home since her wedding and had forgotten just how sentimental the place made her feel. Reminding her of love, hope, light and everything good in the world. The fireplace was warm and comfortable and Lilly noticed that her family had not eaten anything since yesterday. She saw how tired they were and shrugged off her struggles for the moment, deciding to make them a nice meal and make them more comfortable so that her poor family could get a good night's sleep even if she had to medicate them. All she knew was that they really needed a good night's sleep and deserved it besides.

Bad enough that they had come all the way into middle-of-nowhere muggle England to take care of her emotional problems. It was the least she could do was to make them a meal and even better it might take her mind off things for a moment. Her headache was getting worse, not to the point where it was unbearable but unpleasant at the very least. Lilly rubbed her own temples, reminding herself to make a quick headache powder when she had a spare moment. Albus, unable to help himself, at last allowed his legs to give way underneath him. Falling heavily into an armchair which Minerva had quickly charmed to catch him before he ended up flat on his backside. Lilly felt more tears coming, hating that her father was feeling so poorly. Deciding a round of tea was in order before the meal, something warm and comforting to ease his aches and pains, calm everything down.

With this in mind she allowed Severus to help her out of her heavy outerwear, smiling as he removed her overcoat and began massaging her tense shoulders. Her arms feeling heavy as she took the coat and hung it up on the magical coat rack, a favorite object of hers as a child. A silly, Doctor Seuss looking object with eight swirly arms which extended to reach her garment. Normally this still would have made her laugh, but she was too tired right now. Her eyes were heavy and her limbs weighed a metric ton each, but still she smiled happy to be home with her parents her brother and the man she loved. She inhaled the perfume of pumpkin spice which she had come to associate with the smell of home and comfort, it was the one constant in her life. Just the smell alone was soothing and eased her addled mind enough to allow minimal focus, something for which she was very thankful.

Taking a deep breath, going into the kitchen and finding ingredients for a simple roast chicken with garlic roast potatoes, she nodded and got out the utensils. Lilly smiled as she rolled up her sleeves, yes magic could make quick work of this but she preferred the muggle way of doing things when it came to cooking. The feel of the ingredients beneath her hands as she made every dish come to life was one sort of magic she had learned from her mother. Ironic wasn't it, that muggles had their own sort of magic which wizards knew nothing about. Painful as it was to think about Daisy, Lilly had to admit she had been a wonderful cook and homemaker; her mastery of the domestic arts legendary in the neighborhood. She may have hated traditional magic, but she had made her own and had been right about one thing and that was that nothing competed with food cooked from the heart. There was one thing the magic could not do and that was add love: which made everything taste better.

She thought she might begin cooking the chicken in the oven when something stopped her. On a cold English night like this, she had the sudden idea to make something hot and soft and thought of a cheddar spud mash. Lilly set about scooping and cooking and chopping and so on: stopping when what she thought was the blender turned out to be a loud, heavy snore. Lilly shook her head, whispering a mirror charm to see into the other room without having to leave her cook. Her father was absolutely dead asleep in his armchair along with her mother, tucked into his arms with her head under his chin, his arm around her and her weary face slack in absolute relief. Both of them were drooling in their sleep, Albus mouth was wide open. She laughed a little as she began to baste the chicken in garlic butter, yawning loudly as her children kicked her hard in the ribs protesting her constant movement.

"Oh stop it, would you?" she chastised her children, "mummy is already tired and grumpy without you rolling about."

Lilly finished cooking dinner, and came back into the sitting room where her family slept; Severus peaceful as anything holding her child while a pregnant Nymphadora roared away completely passed out. Her huge pregnant belly bobbing up and down like a giant balloon which Remus was enjoying poking gently. Smiling every time it touched his finger when she exhaled. Lilly had to chuckle at how silly her brother was and smothered the giggle behind her hand. She crept over to her mother and father and shook their shoulders gentle, causing them to grunt and wake on an exhale. Minerva was the first to lift her eyelids, or rather crack them open, giving Lilly the most heartbreaking look that her daughter had ever seen. It was a look that begged her to just let them rest and oh Merlin she wanted to; but she did't want their dinner getting cold.

"Mummy and da' are sleeping Lilly-dear what is it?" Minerva cooed, as if talking to a child.

"I made dinner," Lilly told her, "I thought you could use something hot."

Minerva shook her head in the negative," go into the kitchen and use a warming charm on it love, then come back here and settle down with us." she told her closing her eyes again.

"Yes mummy," she said, smiling as Minerva gave her hand a little squeeze, before beginning to snore again.

Lilly set about preserving the food as a sleepy moan escaped her. She wanted to go into the other room and nod off with her family,not only because she was tired and had swollen feet but because her babies kept doing gymnastics in her abdomen. Normally she would have found joy in this, the movement of her child restless and alive inside of her. Right now however, it only served as a somewhat painful irritant causing discomfort and indigestion. Not to mention their rolling caused Lilly to to fight the urge to puke again for what must've been the umpteenth time that night. She drank some ginger ale from her parents' fridge and sat down as the children continued to roll about causing Lilly to feel nauseous to the core of her gut. Her head spun around and around, and she felt dizzy. Lilly crashed to the floor hard, her chest constricting painfully around her chest. Her ribs feeling like they were collapsing into her body, and she couldn't breathe. Lilly began to panic, knowing that her birth-parents had a history of heart disease. She tried to call out to Severus, to Remus, _to_ _anyone_ but her voice would not work. She heard footsteps, saw bright hot pink hair. Nymphadora, thank Merlin! Lilly tried to reach for her but it was no use, she could hardly lift her hand and cried when her sister-in-law grabbed her hand as she began to tremble. Noticing that Nymphadora looked calm, excited even, something which frightened her even more but she could still hear her friend, her sister's voice telling her that it was okay.

Okay? The hell it was! Her headache was so bad now that she had to close her eyes. Wanting to cry out in pain. It hurt so much that even her scalp was aflame and if she was able she would have screamed and woke her mother. But she was helpless, she just lie there and let the pain come in droves till the room swam in her vision and she felt herself floating, floating out of her body. She vaguely heard her mother, father, husband, all running toward her. Her mother shaking her, God it hurts! Her father kissing her head, telling her to let it happen whatever the hell it was. Lilly managed to shake her head, she wanted it to stop, not keep going. Wanting peace, beginning to panic. Where was her son? Was he safe? What was happening to her? Why did she burn from the inside out? Questions, questions so many questions; and yet she couldn't ask any of them.

Her eyes widened as she looked down between her legs, realizing what was happening. No, she couldn't be. She was only five months along. This was not good. Her baby was coming and she was not at all ready. Premature babies were not only small, but were at risk for several health issues and possibly even death. The sharp pains crept down her spine and settled in her abdomen where she groaned dully. Had she the strength, she would have cried, but she didn't and as afraid as she was; Lilly knew she must keep calm. If she allowed her muscles to tense, to lock up, it would only make it worse. Nymphadora was panicky now and was calling to her family to come quickly. That Lilly needed help urgently and then she felt her husband kissing her, her father rubbing her back as her mother told her to just relax. Not to panic, to just let her body do the work it was designed for. But she was a doctor, she knew what was going on and she was terrified as she looked down at her midsection.

Blood seeped out from between her legs and staining her mother's pristine marble floor. Inwardly Lilly cringed, knowing how much pride her mother took in the keeping of her home. But then her heart began to pound, as she felt something squeezing itself out of her. It was her worst fear confirmed. She was in labor, right there on the kitchen floor and powerless to do anything to stop , where was Severus. Lilly knew he was there, she could hear him; but she just could not force her eyes open. She was exhausted, wanted to sleep, her eyes remaining shut as she felt her insides stretching preparing herself for what was coming next. Thanking Merlin that the female body was designed for this but knowing that she was in danger, witch or not early births might take her life. But whatever happened, she knew her child would be safe. She would make sure of that, With renewed resolve she tried to slow her breathing, to calm down; her child was coming whether she liked it or not and all she could do was look helplessly at her friend who was soothing her and looking chalky white.

She heard Minerva's voice, soft gentle, soothing. Her father's smell making her sleepy as she relaxed in his arms. He handed her to Nymphadora who set about carrying her to the bathtub and filling it with hot water with a flick of her wand. Severus was panicking, she could see it, his grip on her ropes in danger of tearing them off of her as the pain intensified so that the only thing she could see at this point was a blinding white light. They lowered her into the water, Severus grabbed her hand and she was no longer beside him. Instead she was back in that vision, and this time she saw only one child; a boy with Severus's hair and eyes. The boy was handsome, slightly more baby fat than Harry'd had when he was born. He was still handsome in his dopey little face was going to be a handsome little man if she ever saw one.

As the vision morphed, she was faced with something she had never seen before. There was fire, Harry was with him, her sons. They were both so very clearly her sons, one strong and built, athletic and brutishly handsome as William Evans had been. The other was Harry, she knew that because of the scar he had on his forehead. He called his brother by his name. His brother was crying. Lilly heard the name of her youngest, her baby boy and then the eyes were on Harry again. It was as if looking into a mirror several years into the future. A very dark and twisted mirror. One holding a sword with a red hilt, the other a wand made of white wood and facing eyes she would never forget. Lilly tried to cry out, to scream as the sickening green light and her boys. The two boys, dropped to their knees she gasped. Screaming for help, screaming for her children to come to her as the love of her life was nowhere to be found. Lilly screamed at the top of her lungs, and then at last she opened her eyes.

Severus was smiling, holding a rather large baby-shaped bundle in his slender arms. Lilly was no longer in the bathtub but in a massive four-poster bed, her parents' bed. Remus and Nymph were beaming at her, positively glowing even. Beside her on the bed, her mother was cradling her, arms wrapped around her shoulders and an enchanted cloth wiping her sweaty brow. Blinking, Lilly made a sound somewhere between a moan and a question, one she was sure she could never make again if she tried. Her mother sat up on the bed and kissed her brow, gently smoothing back her red hair and kissing her cheek. Lilly looked down at her waist, the white bed sheets were stained with blood and her midsection throbbed consistently.

"Congratulations, it's a boy." Said Remus, with a grin.

"The others..."Lilly murmured. "Where... the pregometer said a girl."

"Sometimes those things are wrong darling." Nymphadora told her gently, "your son is indeed male and indeed he is HUGE. Possibly why the thing miscalculated." she told her, laughing heartily.

"How...big?" she asked, fighting sleep, "can I hold him?"

"12lbs. and 4 ounces." Remus told her, "right giant this boy."

Severus handed her the baby and her little boy, her newborn looked at her with her husband's dark eyes. He had been born with a full head of black hair and when he smiled at her, her heart melted. She kissed the child, and then she kissed her husband. Pressing the baby close to her heart, Her mouth tight as she held her newborn, remembering her boys in that vision and she began to cry. Holding her son as tightly as she could without hurting him. Her father's blue eyes loomed over her gently as he stroked her head. Severus was showing concern, kneeling down next to them he took her face in his hands. The kiss he gave her was slow, calming, warm. She would have held him were she not holding an armful of baby. He let his lips linger on hers for a long moment and she deepened it, terrified of what she had just seen.

"Flower, we still have time," he soothed, "we can have more children."

Lilly smiled and shook her head, "it's not that Sev," she assured, "I'm just tired, Neville here gave me a time of it."

"Neville, where did you pull that one out of?" Snape asked.

Lilly didn't want to tell him about her vision, so she simply said, " I just always liked that name, Neville Snape."

"Sounds like Devil's snare," Severus intoned, "Still it is an interesting name, Neville it is. Neville Leon perhaps. "

"How sweet," Minerva told him, "the oldest for you and the youngest for her."

"Of course. What do you think Lilly? Lilly?"

He smiled taking the baby out of her arms. Lilly was sound asleep.


	18. Magical Memories

-Harrison Snape and the Magical Childhood: Part 1 of 8 in the Cursed Chronicles

 **Chapter eighteen**

 _Magical Memories_

Severus covered his wife beneath the quilt as she laid perfectly still, too tired to even roll over as she exhaled from a massive snort so loud that her mother actually made a face. Snape however smiled a little bit, feeling a need to laugh that his strong powerful wife who had the nerve to chuck random books at the dark lord could be so exhausted by something as simple as childbirth. Not that having children was easy; certainly not. Severus did not have to be a woman to figure that one out. It was an easy answer as to why she was tired right now. Snape imagined that anyone in their current situation would be and the baby only added to her burdens of which, if he counted them properly, were rapidly increasing. He imagined that women often needed a rest after such a huge undertaking as giving birth to a child so early in their pregnancy much-less one so big. Still it amused him that his powerful, sometimes-terrifying wife could be rendered so helpless at something so physiologically natural as giving birth to a child.

Helpless.

That one single word, rang in his head like a bell as he considered with Slytherin rationality the situation he was in. Mentally making a list of pros and cons in his head as he had learned to do from Professor Slughorn years ago. He simply swapped the words, needed and acquired for the aforementioned and set to work; mentally exhausting work. On the one hand, he was everything he had ever hoped to be; rich, married to the girl he wanted, the master of a large castle and a father, preparing to be the father of two that his own stepfather had never been. But on the other; he was now on the 'most-wanted' list of a wizard who could kill anyone he damn-well pleased with the flick of his wrist. Well, perhaps not him literally, given recent events but his followers, knowing that he had not only betrayed him but that his son was the culprit for their master's penultimate failure was a dangerous one.

As he looked at his own sons he was reminded again of that terrible word which reared its ugly head, making him feel nauseous, sick to his stomach; tying it in knots. His poor flower, so gentle, so loving had been all alone and more frightened then she cared to let on he was certain. But all the same, he had to smile as he looked at her sleeping face and the weight of his life, the fact that he had brought this all on his family was too much for him and he felt his knees giving way underneath him. Soon, he was kneeling and vomiting into the plastic laundry bin. He emptied, well the nothingness in his stomach and angrily wiped the tears from his bitterly burning eyes as he tried to name the way he was feeling. He hated the fact that Minerva was tisking, wiping his mouth while Albus brought water and Remus used a cleansing charm on the bin while his sister-in-law rubbed his back.

Again the word _helpless_ pushed it's ugly way back into his mind as the Dumbledores quit the room. Making sure that Severus was all right before leaving the four of them alone with hugs from the women and claps on the back from the men. Leaving him alone in the utter silence of his in-law's home as he pondered the dangers seemingly all around him, his son was too large, and would have surely lost weight if he had been carried to term and been a normal size but the current weight he was his heart might give out at any time. That being said he appeared -for the moment at least- to be in good health and lay sqawling and wingding with the gusto of any newborn his age. He shushed him not wanting Lilly to wake up, knowing she was the sort of woman who would leap up at the slightest sound of her child in distress.

Part of him wished she would, he hated seeing her like this when he didn't know what to do to mend the situation. But she didn't. No, she simply rolled over onto her back and let her mouth fall open and continued to snore like a hibernating hippogriff. Snape laughed aloud, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her head and settling into the high-backed chair by her bedside and taking a good long look at his second son. Harry meanwhile was gazing in complete adoration at his mother, clearly tuned into her every breath and beginning to drift himself. Lilly simply lay there on the bed, sound asleep as her family went on without her. Eyes dark and deeply shut as she snored louder with her every exhale. At this point in fact the noise was so bad that it may have well been the roarsome rumble of the Hogwarts Express .

Not that anyone blamed her, she had just had an enormous baby boy and four-months early besides. Severus had to laugh as his wife simply lay there and rested away the night. Going from the hysterical mess he had seen earlier to the very definition of a mama bear with not one but two small cubs under the age of two. One year and two weeks apart exactly, he mused staring at the boy she had called Neville looked up at him with what appeared to be a slight fear on his face. He laughed, this boy was no Slytherin, he looked too sweet to be. Harry perhaps might be, but not his little brother. He was too squishy, too plump, if looks could tell him the boy's future he would have guessed him a Hufflepuff, someone who would excel at fluffy subjects like care of magical creatures and herbology.

The sort of shy, sensitive boy who was liable to be bullied in the hallway, Severus thought with a frown. The sort of boy who would apologize to the bully for getting in his way. rather than sticking up for himself. He could just see his youngest son as the sort of boy who may grow up to be a gardener or something. Secretly brave but with a compassion to him which many may very well mistake for weakness while really his power lay just below the surface like a cauldron waiting to boil over. Oh yes, Severus could just see his boys, one looking after the other as they guided one another. Harry would be like him, he imagined, what with the events of the last few months. Snape could just imagine the mess which was to come, from having a famous infant who was now viewed as a hero. Holding Neville a little tighter, he shook his head with a frown. He knew already what Neville and Harry were going to be, Harry would be like him and Neville would be just like, just like...his mother.

Lilly had never been one for the harder more technical pursuits of the magical studies such as potions or defense against the dark arts. Finding them harsh and unpleasant to say the least. Having no stomach for things like boils, and hexes and that sort of thing. Even in self-defense, his flower was such a compassionate one that she even hated hurting her enemies. In fact, Severus mused, mulling it over in his mind, he was surprised that Lilly had not apologized to Voldemort for making sludge come over his eyes. Not that Severus would have wanted her to, but knowing his wife she would have hated the fact that she had ever hurt anyone. Hell, she had been in hysterics over Evans and Dursley and that wasn't even her fault. But oh how dare she embarrass her birth-father no matter how much he deserved it. To do such a thing simply was not okay, no matter what the circumstances.

It didn't matter what he had done to her. His abuse was no reason for her to humiliate him. Severus himself had hurt her to the point of where he had almost come away from her entirely and was very nearly beyond the point of no return. And yet, somehow, someway, she had found enough love in her heart. Even for the likes of him as undeserving as he was. Severus kissed the boy in his arms, smiling down at his sons and thinking about how much both boys reminded him of their mother. Harry looked like him, his slender lanky build, skinny and sharp features. Only reminding him of Lilly in the eyes, but Neville, oh he was his mother's son to a T. Soft, loving, gentle and too kind for his own good, the perfect companion for his brother to help him through the year to come. He laughed, genuinely, returning his attention to the boy in his arms.

He would be like his mother, soft and gentle with a fighting spirit and Neville would excel in school. Maybe not in academia the way Severus would have liked but he would nonetheless. Neville would enjoy the softer subjects, the easier ones, those meant for caring for other beings, whether they were animals or some other creature. Somehow Snape knew he was just like his mother and would be the kind of person who would love any human being no matter how bad they hurt him. Severus wiped his eyes, as he thought of his wife, she loved everyone and wanted to take care of all of them. A mother to everyone, even him. Even he, Severus, was deemed worthy of her affection and her rescuing. He looked down at Neville, running his long spindly fingers through the silky tufts of raven hair which adorned the child's head. Severus frowned in concern, feeling how heavy he was and worrying for Lilly. Wizards may have quick-fixes for minor ailments such as the common cold but the female anatomy of a human woman remained identical to their muggle counterparts. Such a large child would surely have done some damage he was certain.

Severus frowned, putting his son into the crib beside his older brother and making a note to have Madame Pomfry check her out at the earliest possible time as he turned to look at her. Finding she slept just as soundly as ever and was even drooling a small lake onto the red satin pillow. He felt his heart turn into marshmallow fluff which if he were honest had been roasted with love so many times that it had turned into a crispy, gooey mess when it came to her. Severus, the proud, austere Slytherin actually had to wipe a tear from his eye as he bent down and kissed his poor sleeping wife gently on the lips; gathering her close and beginning to rock her back and forth. Lilly was so out of it that she did not wake, instead the sound of her snores just warbled and vibrated with the movement of her body. He laughed out loud, his wife dear as she was such a silly girl sometimes.

Oh she tried to be serious, certainly, and had a temper on her that could make a dragon flinch but when it came down to it, there was a certain innocence about her which Severus found entirely endearing. Sometimes, he mused, she reminded him of a child. Even nursing her own thumb on occasion if her dreams were deep enough. He stroked her head as she grunted, exhaling from her snort before rolling over; he knew he ought to let her rest ,let her sleep but this was just way too much fun. He had always enjoyed watching her sleep, because she was just so very _animated_ for lack of a better word. While most people laid down and rolled over every so often during the night, Lilly preformed her own symphonic ballet.

She moaned softly and snuggled into him, pulling him down on the bed into her arms and using his shoulder for a pillow, his fatigue finally catching up to the poor fellow. He desperately needed a rest, so much had happened in the last few weeks and his addled brain spun too fast. It made his headache worse and the bed feel so good beneath his spine as he used a calming charm on his children. The two infants curled up beside one another, Harry sucking his thumb and Neville's tiny hand curled into a little fist. The charm spread a curious warmth around the room, a magical one which had the desired effect. First the calming charm then a simple cheering charm to prevent any nightmares. Something which seemed to be haunting them constantly, these nightmares. He stroked Lilly's hair, noticing a teeny smile curving her full lips as the magic put her mind at ease.

It took a few minutes before the magic sent the whole family into a deep sleep for Merlin only knew how long. The last thing he remembered was putting his head beside hers and when Lilly awoke the room was silent and dark. There wasn't the slightest save for the sound of Severus snoring and the feel of his arms wrapped tightly around her. Holding her close to his heart with his nose plastered into her red hair. Inhaling her scent with his every exhale. She closed her eyes, not wanting to wake up as it was a quarter to five a.m. Moonlight streamed down from the window and she was startled to see another person in the room. Her heart pounded for a second, no, not again. Not in her parents' house. She was safe here of all places. Her father had put charms all around the every entrance to keep death eaters and any other dangers at bay, there was no way one of them had gotten in here! Was there?

She looked over at Sev who slept just as soundly as heart hammered, as she realized she was in little more than a bathrobe and without her wand as she heard someone -clearly a man- groaned softly and cleared his throat. Huh, how odd. She thought, guessing the intruder was asleep. It was quite unusual for an attacker to pass out right before his assault. Lilly blinked, trying to focus her eyes in the shadows where she could just make out the shadow of a man, sitting in the corner of the room. The moonlight lighting him just enough so that she could make out the sandy-brown hair; and the shabby grey greatcoat and her eyes lit up as a sigh of relief. Her brother that's all, come into protect her from her demons.

It was so like him to do that. He had been so worried about her lately, that it was no surprise to her to see him so sleepy and passed out comfortably in an armchair. She shook her head, sympathetic and more than a little guilty over his plight. He ought to be at home, preparing for his own son to come into the world safe and sound. But instead he slept from sheer exhaustion in the corner of her old childhood room like he used to when she had a nightmare or been afraid of things going bump in the middle of the night. Going to the linen closet, she got a blanket and went over to the man intending to wrap him up and give him a kiss good night to show her affection and appreciation for everything he did for her and her family. Despite his immense dislike of Severus he had still come to her wedding and his wish that she had married James he had seen her off-both times- and even came to Petunia's wedding to show his support for her in confronting those awful muggles.

Just a few hours ago he had even helped her deliver her son; a situation for which she was sure he was grossly unqualified, but she was sure he had done his best. And now to top it off, he was watching over her in the middle of the night. Retrieving the blanket, she tiptoed as silently as a ghost across the floor only to stop short when she got a closer look at him. That wasn't Remus, the features were too fine and gentle. Her brother had a roughness to him, gentle sure but rough all the same. This man however, in the moonlight was smooth and damn-near angelic almost. Her heart swelled, she knew that face; those curls were unmistakable.

"Newt!" she cried joyfully, startling her visitor awake before running to her oldest brother who caught her in his arms

"Hello Lilly-Love.." he said softly, blue eyes dancing, "get my latest book yet?" he asked with a smile.

"Of course, _Fantastic Beasts and where to find Them."_ she said, "I enjoyed it, though Snape thought it a bit of a snore-fest." Lilly said chuckling a little.

"Yes, well, your husband isn't one to appreciate the softer arts, he is one _twisted, twisted_ bloke."

"He is not." Lilly said, "My husband is wonderful," Snape snored in response, and she laughed kissing his forehead.

"Only **you** could love such a man Liliana." he intoned affectionately, "He is positively the most loathsome vile underhanded..." he made a disgusted face, _"_ " _creature,_ I have ever met."

That pissed Lilly off, and she cuffed her brother gently on the head to which he melodramatically threw back his head as if mortally wounded. Lilly laughed at her brother's antics, knowing that he was playing and that he would never disrespect her husband. At least not right to her face. No, her oldest brother was always a perfect gentleman if not somewhat eccentric and a bit of a troublemaker. He yawned widely an ruffled her hair before holding her much tighter than she expected. His arms securing her tightly against his chest where she just let her head rest for a moment, unaware of how much she missed him for it had been far too long since he had come home, not very involved with the family and preferring the company of his strange; exotic animals. Lilly choked up as her brother with tears in his eyes rocked her back and forth, his whole body shaking as he tried desperately to hold in his emotions.

"Newt, what's the matter?" she asked, hating as always to see her family in distress.

"Mum and Da told me everything, oh Lilly-Love I'm so sorry!" he sobbed, gripping her even tighter, "Why didn't you call me? I would have come...I would have... oh God."

"Newt, it's okay, I'm fine, in fact you're an uncle twice over." she cooed softly, trying to soothe him. "I just had another little boy," she pointed to the crib.

Newt's eyes went wide and he crushed Lilly against him, shaking and rocking her back and forth to settle them both that she was all right. Voldemort, Lord Voldemort had come after his little sister and he had been off in America with Tina and his silly magical creatures. Out of the loop, and out of touch with his family while the little sister he had always adored was facing the darkness of pure evil itself. Newt began to cry harder as he rained teary kisses all over her head, blathering incoherently about some sort of animal he had been chasing at infinitude while she had faced her demons. Alternately kissing her and telling her how much he loved her and his nephews before begging her forgiveness for not being around when she needed him.

Lilly was heartbroken, her brother was having a sensory overload. She could see his inner struggle with his autism and such and she loved him all the more for it. His disability was not something that made him bad but made him unique in his own special way. Newt was the child in the family who was always outside having to be called home before the lamps turned off. Bringing home all kinds of odd animals and begging to keep them, a strange and imaginative child with the warmest smile and a cherubic face whose eyes could charm the venom out of a snake. He was weird, maddening and eccentric, what the muggles would have referred to as special needs when those in the magical world celebrated his unique way of thinking. His eyes darted back and forth between her and the boys, and she waited for him to ask the question she knew he wanted to.

"Can I touch them?" he asked referring to her sons and she nodded getting off his lap and taking him over to the crib where he hugged Harry tight and gave little Neville a kiss.

Lilly smiled, taking Harry from him and replacing him with the newborn who was still pink from being just hours old, "Neville, partly named after you Newt." and she kissed his cheek.

He choked on his emotion, "He looks like a newborn puppy all fat and pink," he said laughing a little.

Lilly chuckled. That was such a Newt thing to say. First he had compared his beloved's eyes to salamanders and now he was tearfully comparing his newborn nephew to a naked puppy. She shushed him, allowing him to pull her into his arms again as Severus opened one eye and saw her snuggling into his lap to give him comfort. He smiled, knowing that was her oldest brother: her favorite brother. The magizoooligist who she rarely saw who traveled the world taming the weirdest and most peculiar oddities one could imagine. Severus had only met him once before when he had proposed to Lilly and he had not been too fond of him to say the least. He had compared him -if Severus recalled correctly- to a hippogriff's ass. Something Sev had chastised his would-be father-in-law with a snipe about taking in stray children with little to no discrimination. Albus had laughed like a jolly old saint Nicholas, saying that he and Minerva only took in their favorite orphans and misfits.

"You have poor taste then," he said in response to which Lilly narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, I'm right here Sev." she told him pointedly.

"You, my flower are the exception...your older brothers well not so much." he soothed, glaring at the two men in front of him who laughed it off.

Still as rude as he had been, Severus had to give well both her brothers one thing, they loved her to death and he admired them for that. Because after the way the Evans had treated Lilly she deserved to be loved. Deserved more than anything to have a family that was supportive of her, He got up, noticing that Lilly was now dozing again and Newt still rocking her like a child grinned impishly at him as she settled down for more sleep. Newt on the other hand still holding Lilly he peered down at the infants sleeping in the crib, and smiled; dangling his finger over each of them to tap them on the nose. Three uncles, Severus thought with a small smile to himself as he looked at his drowsing wife and thought of just how different his life was now as he made the mussed bed with a flick of his wand. Watching as Newt got up, still carrying her bridal-style and began to carry her downstairs as she mumbled some incoherent nonsense.

"What are you doing?" asked her husband, concerned for his wife.

"Da says our families are downstairs, bring your children it's important." he said simply and Severus obliged, curious and not having reason to object.

Besides which, hearing that his father and brother and so on were downstairs was a surprise for him and he had to admit though he was trying to be supportive of Lilly as the best he could he longed to see his own family. Lucius had been his closest companion for years and to know he was his brother was a joy too good to pass up. Not to mention his father who he had hardly met, and he wished to see of all people; his mother just someone who would support him and for once not think about his wife. Selfish as it sounded, Severus wanted to be...well the center of attention for just one minute. It had all been about his wife recently, his children, and while that was perfectly understandable he just wanted to cry for a moment. To be a human being for a moment, and just let his fear and his pain all come out.

He had to be strong for his family, his wife who had been so brave was in need of him and he understood that. But he was hurting too, torturing himself, inside and out. He hated himself, hated that he had brought the one bright spot in his life into his dark twisted world. Severus had to force back the tears welling up as he noticed Albus was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by the six people in his life who he could call his own. His blonde, handsome older brother Lucius and family, wife and one year old son Draco along with a very pregnant Narcissa his mother and father along with his parents. His mother went forward first opening her arms to hold him,and he collapsed into her arms allowing his children to be pressed into their grandmother's chest as he finally began to cry. Narcissa came forward while his brother did nothing for fear of appearing weak as was his way and the others allowed him a moment to collect himself as Eileen lead him to

Albus smiled as he took the man close to the fire beside Minerva and his two sons, one still holding Lilly who was sound asleep per usual. At least this time she wasn't snoring, to do so in front of strangers would surely embarrass his wife and cause her to blush. The thought made him grin. Lilly was such a lady that if she had been in another era she may very well have been a lady of the court , a duchess or princess even she was such a stickler for good manners and decorum. To do something like that, even something as innocent as make noise or drool in her sleep would be simply mortifying for her and Severus was grateful that she was sleeping because that meant she was relaxed and not feeling the need to put on a show. To be the perfect hostess, make tea and offer his family dinner or something like that. But right now she was smiling, relaxed and snuggling into her brother's shoulder and no one was saying a blessed thing. Newt was holding her close, and Remus clapped him on the shoulder by way of greeting. Hugs hellos and tears finally out of the way Albus spoke at last with a tender smile on his face.

"I think everyone," he began, "that it's time we close the gaps."

"Go on," Lucius said, intrigued, giving Severus a squeeze on the shoulder by way of greeting.

"A simple memory spell and we can all forget this ever happened, no more Evans, Scammanders, Lupins or Snapes, just a quick spell and it will all be over, as far as we will all remember Minerva and I made three children together and you my dear boy," he gestured to Severus, "will be as close to your family as though you had never left."

Severus frowned as his father voiced his concerns, "is that wise, to remove the memories of what happened to them, won't they be ill-prepared for what is to come?"

"Sadly," Albus said, his tone gentle, "There is no way to erase the pain of those terrible things; trauma cannot be altered, but for Lilly and us to forget the unpleasantness of what we had to go through just to be a family will ease her pain a little bit."

"Do I have a say in this?" Lilly asked slightly grumpy from an oncoming snort which would have woken her up.

"Yes my dear, also good morning." Minerva chuckled, stroking her head.

"First off Newt put me down," she laughed and he grimaced, shaking his head in the negative, plopping down on the sofa and holding her closer to him.

"No," he said, nuzzling her crown, "mine."

She laughed, "Oh very well," she said softly, "I'd rather you didn't do that."

Minerva looked surprised, "Lilly are you certain, you could be our daughter no memories of those awful people."

"That's true mummy," she conceded, "But I would also lose all the good times,how happy I was to come to school and see the two of you. The joy we all felt when we were finally a real family and the time I met my husband... I fell in love with Severus Snape, not Severus Malfoy. My birth family, awful as they are were what sent me to the wizarding world and have now given me up and I never want to forget their cruelty so I can always remember what real love looks like."

Her heartfelt speech seemed to bring everyone to tears and they all gathered around her in a multitude of tight hugs and I love yous which were whispered like a chorus around the room. Severus coming to her last and standing her up to kiss her, his mother teary-eyed and Lucius applauding slowly as they held onto one another and Severus finally let go of his emotions into her hair with tears and love-words as behind them a single shooting star fell silently behind the lovers and those who loved them. As Dumbledore raised his wand, not erasing but sealing them all together in a bond of love light and magical memories.


End file.
